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Soviet leadership understands that in addition to
maintaining strong offensive capabilities, an equally
strong defensive posture is needed. The Soviet Union
maintains a massive arsenal of military weaponry
and a sizable number of military personnel to use
these weapons. The Soviet preparedness is a threat
that should not be taken lightly. As part of the free
world, we should learn the capabilities of the Soviets
and stay abreast of the changes in their systems and
equipment. For a comparison of U.S. and Soviet
military assets, see figure 1-3.
SOVIET POLITICAL THREAT
The Soviet political threat lies in the nation’s
political policy of spreading communism to Third
World countries. While the Soviets maintain a strong
influence over Warsaw-Pact nations, they exert even
more influence on Third World
PLATFORM
UNITED STATES
RUSSIA
ICBMs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1,000
1,386
SLBMs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
560
978
STRATEGIC BOMBERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
372
888
STRATEGIC DEFENSE INTERCEPTORS . . .
252
2,250
TACTICAL AIRCRAFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .
3,976
5,170
AIRCRAFT CARRIERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15
4
PRINCIPAL SURFACE COMBATANTS . . . . .
223
276
OTHER COMBATANT SHIPS . . . . . . . . . . . . .
80
408
AUXILIARIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
130
311
SUBMARINES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
132
308
Figure 1-3.—Comparison of United States and Soviet military assets. Figures are approximate, based
on information available at the time of writing.
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