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Warsaw Pact Air Forces: Support of Strategic Operations in Central Europe, CIA/DI/SOVA Intelligence Assessment, January 1985.

Central Intelligence Agency · 95 pages · text from the file's own layer

This Central Intelligence Agency Directorate of Intelligence assessment, dated January 1985, examines how Warsaw Pact air forces would support large strategic operations in Central Europe. It concludes that the Soviets see NATO air power as the greatest threat to a Pact ground offensive. They revised their air supremacy plans in 1980 and 1981 to use sector-concentrated raids and a defensive air operation. The assessment also finds that heavy aircraft losses and limited deep attack capability would remain serious problems. The document has no UFO content.

  • p. 16 …Europe primarily to support the Combined Baltic Sea Fleet, (thc FRG. Dcnmark the Nethertands, and Belgium…
  • p. 32 …303}5 12-54 Smolensk strategic air army and the Baltic Sea Fleet egional opera- air…
  • p. 42 …between the twostrategic zone and the North Sea. Most primary sectors a series of operational phases…
  • p. 44 …would be carriers operating in the North Sea. This mission aircraft in the open, but the…
  • p. 50 …Sea Fleet-also a Western TMO asset-is responsible for targets in the North Sea, We…
  • p. 51 …The depth of airstrikes Sea. Medium bomber targets are not likely to bewould be limited by…
  • p. 52 …Sea Fleet 0 35b 5the FEBA (including Denmark and the polish-DR Front 75 25Baltic Sea…
  • p. 54 …missile strike air division of the Baltic Sea Fleet AF have nuclearof the Smolenk SAA. e…
  • p. 57 …a Targets within the strike demarcation line except those covered by the Baltic Sea Fleet. b…
  • p. 62 …doing, they would seal off the Baltic Sea, securing the establishment of a penetration corridor through…
  • p. 63 …Sea a rrq sit fodee tn na a foce th r andr securingF}the sea ar…
  • p. 64 …as joint operations between the Combined Baltic Sea Fleet and the - coastal (normally Polish-GDR) front…
  • p. 65 …and missile force of the Combined Baltic Sea Fleet in supporting capabilities and are heavily dependent…
  • p. 66 …and could be\ajrcraft fromn the Baltic Sea Fleet The Blinder recon---objects of final reconnaissance…
  • p. 79 …and possibly aircraft carriers in the North Sea front air force-usually the fifth front in…
Top\Secret
Table 3
Estimated Numbers of Warsaw Pact Combat Aircraft
Available TMO-Wide To Participate in the Initial Air Operation
at the Outset of War in the Western TMO, mid-1983 a
Assigned Combat-Ready Aircraft . Nuclear Alert Available for
Combat Air Operation
Aircraft Rate b Aircraft Rate' Aircraft
(percent) (percent)
Moderate Force -- - - - - "- - -_
Legnica strategic air
army (SAA) ___
Attack 180 90 and 95 165 10 18 145
Fighter 135 - - - 95 130 130
Support 40 95 40 40
Vinnitsa SAA -
-Attack __190____ 10 90 170 10 18 150
Fightr 125 90 115 115
Support 40 90 35 35
Smolensk SAA - ' - -
- Attack 265 90 240 10 24 215
Support 200 90 180 180
Moscow SAA
Attack 25 __20_ 90 20 20
B)altic Fleet Air Force (AF)
Attack ___ 135 90 120 10 12 110
_Support 40 90 35 35
Polish-GDR Front Air
Force (FAF)
ttack 200 85 170 10 8 160
Fighit 200 85 170 170
Support 70 85 60 60
GSFG-GDR FAF -
Attack 395 85 and 95 370 10 35 335
Fighter 505 d - 85 and 95 460 460
Support 100 85 and 95 95 95
Czcchoslovak-CG F FA F -
Attack 55 85 130 10 12 120
Fighter 310d 8 and 95 270 270
Support_______ 65 85and95 55 55 -
Total 3,375 3,9 030 127 2.900
Attack 1,545 1,385 127 1,255
Fighter 1,275 1,145 - -,145
Support __ 555 500 500
Top eSecret 28

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FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 95 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.