CIA • 1975

SOVIET NAVAL STRATEGY: CONCEPTS AND FORCES FOR THEATER WAR AGAINST NATO

APPROVED FOR RELEASE CIA HISTORICAL RELEASE PROGRAM JUNE 2017 Ab- Approved for Release: 2017/06/14 C05584947 Intelligence Report Soviet Naval Strategy: Concepts and Forces for Theater War Against NATO Approved for Release: 2017/06/14 C05584947 AR 70-14 -Tap-Secret Copy Approved for Release: 2017/06/14 C05584947 "Trirr-Ser.,r4L Soviet Naval Strategy: Concepts and Forces for Theater War Against NATO Principal Conclusions During the past decade, Soviet naval strategists have become more flexible in their view of the possible course of development of a theater war with NATO. They now see naval operations in such a war as evolving in up to five stages: ? a period of rising tensions during which surveillance operations would begin - a possible period of conventional (nonnuclear) hostilities - possibly a period of limited nuclear operations in Europe, which probably would be accompanied by widespread nuclear operations at sea (Nuclear war at sea during a conventional conflict in Europe is not currently an element of Soviet strategy.) - theater-wide nuclear war - a concluding phase during which the winning side would consolidate its gains. Soviet and other Warsaw Pact naval forces are organized into several theater commands for war with NATO...