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Aviation History
1987
1987 - 0010.PDF
DEFENCE Weinberger outlines Soviet Military Power WASHINGTON D.C. Above The Kamov Hokum is designed specifically as a fighter helicopter, while the Mil Mi-28 Havoc shown at lower right of the picture is optimised for the anti-tank role with some air-to-air capability. Both Hokum and Havoc are expected to enter service this year The US Department of Defence has published the sixth edition of Soviet Military Power, reporting on the USSR's military devel opments. Several new developments were outlined by US Secretary of Defence Caspar Wein berger. "Last year we reported that the Soviet Union had deployed more than 70 SS-25 Sickle mobile inter-conti nental ballistic missiles, which, like the SS-20 Sabre, do not require fixed sites for their launches. Today they have about 100 SS-25 launch ers deployed. We also expect that the rail-mobile SS-X-24 Scaple might also be deployed. Next year about this time you can take off the 'X'—it will be part of their system." A silo- based variant of the ten- warhead SS-X-24 is also fore cast. Even newer ICBMs are in development, including a follow-on to the SS-18 Satan carrying at least ten warheads with the apparent intention, says Weinberger, of fielding a whole new generation of missiles by the mid-1990s. The new missiles will be both more accurate and less vulnerable. The Soviet Union has 441 SS-20 Sabres now deployed, and is test-firing a still more accurate variant of the SS-20 which could become operational this year. Deploy ment continues for the newest-generation SS-21 Scarab and SS-23 Spider short-range ballistic missiles and tests of improved variants might start soon. "Moscow is also engaged in an ambitious expansion of its submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) force. These developments include launch of the fifth Typhoon:class and fourth Delta IV-class submarines. Each Typhoon carries 20 SLBMs with nine warheads each. The Delta IV has 16 of the new SS-N-23 Skiff with ten independent warheads each." The Delta IVs are due to be declared operational soon, and the SS-NX-21 submarine-laun ched nuclear cruise missile is in flight-test. "Note also that we fully expect the Soviets to deploy a new ballistic sub marine that will probably carry improved versions of the SS-N-20 Sturgeon or SS-N- 23 Skiff," says Weinberger. In strategic bomber devel opment a further two Black jack bombers have emerged from the Kazan plant and joined the five prototypes on flight-test at Ramenskoye AB near Moscow. The Blackjack is expected to go into service next year, armed with the AS- 15 Kent air-launched cruise missile, short-range attack missiles, and bombs. The mention of the Kazan plant is the first confirmation that Blackjack is from the Tupolev design bureau. Pending the arrival of Blackjack, more than 50 Tu- 142 Bear H bombers are oper ational with the 3,000km- range AS-15, and another Bear variant, Bear J, has entered service with Soviet Naval Aviation Forces in the VLF submarine commu nications role. A tanker vari ant of the 11-76 Candid is also in service, and is designated 11-76 Midas, while the airborne early warning vari ant, the 11-76 Mainstay, is now in service with "true overland look-down capabil ity and a new IFF system," says the DoD. The Soviet Air Defence system is also being upgraded. "Major organisational chan ges instituted in 1980 trans ferred control of AD aircraft, Sams, and radars from national air defence author ities to local military district commanders. This was proba bly to provide battlefield commanders with greater flexibility, but even after the 1980 reorganisation the Soviet High Command appears dissatisfied with the air defence structure. More recent shifts are apparently re-subordinating Sams and aircraft back to the national defence forces. The rationale FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 4 April 1987
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