OSI COMPARISON OF USSR AND US NUCLEAR SUBMARINE CONSTRUCTION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP62S00231A000100190010-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 15, 1998
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: November 12, 1959
• Content Type: MEMO

STANDAR ApproNo. 64 ved For Release 2000/08/26 : CIA-4DP62 0231A000100190010-3
Office Memorandum ? UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TO . Acting Chief, Industrial Division, ORR DATE: 12 November l)59
FROM . Chief, Shipbuilding Branch, ORi~
suBJECT: OSI Comparison of USSR and US Nuclear Submarine Construction
25X1A9a
1. The attached table (Table 1) received from in
OSI indicates their thinking regarding the maximum capability of the
USSR to construct nuclear submarines. Their estimates indicate that
the Soviet completions per shipyard per year are only slightly higher
than the actual and planned completions per shipyard per year in the
US.
2. In this connection it is interesting to compare on the same
basis the Soviet and US conventionally propelled submarine construction
in recent years; Table 2. This shows that on a per shipyard per year
basis the Soviet capability for exceeded the US.
3. Comparison of capability by completionsper shipyard per year
does not reflect a number of factors which influence the number of
submarines built in each country, but it is believed that the general
order of magnitude does indicate a. capability and a priority assigned
the submarine program. On the basis of Table 2, it can thus be
estimated that the future completions of nuclear submarines by the
USSR will far exceed the CSI estimate.
Attachments:
Table 1 (i )
Table 2 (1)
Approved For Release 2000/08/26 : CIA-RDP62S00231A000100190010-3
 Approved For Release 2000/08/2 50023 0X*19?010-3
COMPARISON OF MAXIM NSTIMkTED SOVIET PRODUCTIONS CAPABILITY WITH ACTUAL AND PLAID U. S. PROGRAM (1952_1
I
52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59
14 1? - W~
USSR shi
(estimated in pros 0 O 0 0 1
missioned per 0 0 0 0 0
year, divided by
number of ship-
yards in urogram
i0 0 1
60
63 64
61
13 19 25
3 3 3
0 1/2 1/3 2/3
5/3 6/3 6/3
1 1 2 2 5 to 16 20 27 33
lumber ofd
nu~~ 1 1 1 1 3 5 5 6 6 (rc3ai ?f~i in nrn 6 6 6
-
,sources) Imissioned per
- I
year, divided by 0 0 1/1 0 0 1/5 0 3/6 5/6
number of ship-
in pro
4,./6 7 , h 5,!6
*Ctmsulstiv+e totals for nuclear -- ~~ --"-- _
Powered submarines of all types, in c0 emission to ' 5 Fleet.
NOM : 1. The principal limiting factor is considered to be reactor construction cai:it
to build the very large, deep diving i y, although capability
submarine hulls which are required also enters.
2. This estimate reflects our belief that the USSR will concentrate nuclear submarine construction is
fewer shipyards than the U.S. with a resulting higher production rate per shipyard.
3. We estimate that the USSR will build nuclear-powered submarines of the followin t
missile-armed, and a few "peaceful" type g extra torpedo-
s (cargo or oceanographic). While it is extremely diffi+ d
to estimate the numbers of each type which will be built, tPra.?.i.ti ,r estimate 14, 9, and 2
respectively by 1964. The peaceful" types could appear l-,-.' ,,. . o -bl .
Prephred by ASD/OSI and based on
Approved` AP 2 s M6 (DA-fft 0d28d)A990 9 Qpirence with ORR and OCIarxl ONE,
 C f~ Approved For Release 2000108126 :
231A00010019a
0,-
-Approved- For Release 2000108126: !CIA-RDP62SdO231A000100190010-3