THE SOVIET AIR FORCES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-01617A000600110004-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 28, 1998
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: July 20, 1949
• Content Type: REPORT

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1,200
THE 0 0
of the Soviet Air Forces is currently estimated at
and 17,000 aircraft assigned to operational units;
combat types, 700 are transports, and 1,100 are
miscellaneous types, such as reconnaissance, liaison, ambulance, utility,
plus some combat types the identification of which is not known.
Approximately 21 per cent of Soviet air strength is located outside the
borders of the U.S.S.R. -- 2,700 aircraft in Europe and 850 aircraft in
Korea and Soviet-occupied Manchuria, The Soviet Air Forces includes four
arms -- the Military Air Force, designed for close support of the ground
armies, the Long Range Air Force, the Fighter Defense Force, and the Naval
Air Force. These military air arms are supplemented by a Civil Air Fleet
of approximately 3,000 major transports, 2,500 of which could be made
available for military use in the event of hostilities. By D-Day plus
fix months, as result of mobilization, it is estimated that the Soviets
could have 22,000 operational aircraft, 20,000 of which could be combat
ypes. No recent information is available concerning stored reserves of
Soviet aircraft At the end of World War Il? the air strength of the
U.S.S.R. was estimated at 82,000 aircraft, including 18,000 new combat
types in stored reserves. It is considered extremely unlikely that the
Soviets disposed of excess aircraft to as great an extent as the Western
Powers, and it is considered quite probable that the Soviets currently
possess from 20$000 to 40s00o aircraft in stored reserves. The composition
of the various components of the Soviet Air Forces is estimated as follows.;
Jet
Attack
Bombers
gilt twit=
Trans.
orce
Mr 1'9:me
tense Force
Farce
3450
1,100
10450
3,090
210
3,300
1,970
4410
01111111110M,
150
380
240
11?0111.11.
1,000
870
?wroselpflOrawass.
4,250
?????????
1,500
.11.1?01111.1
150
6,000
700
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12111,64a A agts.Personnel*
L1Ta17 Air Force
Long Force
Fighter Defense Force
Naval Air Force
610
10,000
1,800
2,100
3,100
260
55
40
85
280,000
63,000
52,000
86,000
4111.011111.1k
MIO0011?11.
1,103
Me quarters, Trainj
Zstablishments? and
Service Element
17,000**
MIL Fasceara
* Personnel estimates are based upon arbitrary assumptjons.
** Does not include 3,000 aircraft of the Civil Air Fleet or Loo aircraft
of the MTD.
!1.ta.t-y Air Force
The Military Air Force is composed of at least 15 air armies
five of which are currently atationed outside the U.S.S.R. Total strength
ot these air armies is estimated at 10000 aircraft broken down by typee
shown above.
The basic light bomber of theMilitary Air Force is the TU-2
is con3jd,j to have a 400 nautical mile combat radius with a 3,300 pound
bomb load and a 500 nautical mile combat radius with a 2,200 pound bomb
load,
ntional fighter aircraft of the Military Air Force,
such as of the TAX4 with internal fuel only, have a
combat radiu of 540 nautical miles. The older models of the 141-9 with 100
gallons of external fuel have a 530 nautical mils combat radius; with
internal fuel only they have a combat radius of 410 nautical miles. The
M40-9 jet fighter, which baa bean displsy_d with eztaraal fuel tank, has
a combat radius of 330 nautical miles with external fuel, and 140 nautical
miles with internal fuel only.. The TAX-15 jet fighter is estimated to
carry external Ale1 and has a combat radius of 100 nautical milea with
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internal fuel and 300 nautical miles with external
Soviet II-2' and IL-l0 attack aircraft (Stormovik) have omhat
radii of 150 and 200 nautical miles respectively.
Xn Rang. Air Forge
The Long Bangs Air Force is directly sub
Armed Forces and consists of three air armies. 0
Long Uanga Air Force is estimated to be 1,800 air
types as Shown in the table above.
It is currently estimated
S.
present e
us of the
of
29 is 2,800 nautical miles with a 10,000 pound bomb load This
u.ld be extended to 2,150 nautical miles with the same bomb load
rig all defensive armament except the tail turret reduction of the
crew by one member, and the addition of an extra 520 gallons of feel.
There is o information available, however, indicattrg modification of the
Soviet 11-29 in this respect. Although there is very little evidence of
Soviet use of aerial ref44133ne techniques, use of such techniqees mould
increase the combat radius of the Soviet B-29 by 40 per cent if one
refheling operation were employed, and 75 per cent if two refueling
operations were conducted.
The remaining bombers of the Long Range Air Force consist of a
number of four-engtde PE-80 and a large number of twinengine bombers
with oharacterietica similar to the American B-25, The PS-8 bomber, similar
to the B-17, is con'sidered obsolete, and in all probability not more than
150 of these aircraft are available. Combat radius of the PS-8 ix approxi
mately 1,100 nautical miles with 404o0 pounds of bombs. The twin-.engine
bombers are considered to have a 400 nautical mile combat radius with 3,300
pounds of booths, and a 500 nautical mile combat radius with a 2,200 pound bomb
load.
iher Defense
The Fighter Defense Force is charged with the responsibilityfor
3
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the protection of the political and industrial centers of the U.S.S.R.
The strength of the Fighter Defense Force is estimated at 2,100 interceptor
aircraft, 1,000 of which are considered to be jet types (MIO-9 =dux-10.
The Soviet jet fighters now operational are believed to be slightly inferior
in performance to the best currently operational American jet types.
Although the Soviets are known to possess types of swept-backming jet
fighters, it is not believed that there are any operational units equipped
with these jet types at the present time, but it is estimated that their
pyearance in operational units can be expected in the near future.
An evaluation of Soviet interception capabilities indicates that
approdiaats3 700 jets (M1G-9) would be able to perform combat operations
with a maximum speed of 425 knots at that altitude. The
raining 800 jets (TAX-15) would be able to operate at 34,000 feet with a
speed of 420 knots at that altitude. The balance of the fighters are
conventional types with combat operational capabilities from 26,000 to
37,000 feet, with the best types having a speed of 320 knots at combat
altitudes. Combat altitude, as used above, is the altitude at which a rate
ef climb of 500 feet per minute can be maintained,
itave1 lir Force
Strength of the Naval Air Force is estimated at 3400 aircraft,
broken down by tipes as shown in the table above. It is entire
land-
based, i.e. there are no carrier-based aircraft and is organized so as
to provide support for each of the six Soviet fleets. The aircraft
strength in operational units of the Naval Air Force with strengths by
Fleet Air Forces is as follows;
Fiset Air Force
ircrat
Regiments
North and South Baltic
800
21
North and South Pacific
1,450
Black Sea
5oo
14
Northern
350
lo
3,100
85
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The NaiaI Air Force uses essentially the same type aircraft as
the U,j.Ijtary Air Force plus the basic torpedo bomber, the IL4? with a
combat radius of 675 nautical miles carrying a 2,200 pound bomb or
torpedo load, and the PE-2 basic dive bomber with a 320 nautical mile
combat radius with the eame load. Torpedo operations of the Naval Air
Force were conducted only during daylight hours in World War II, but
present training emphasizes night torpedo operations and increased
coordination between aircraft and surface units of the Soviet Navy.
Civil Ai Fleet
It is et1ated that the Civil Air Fleet possesses approximately
3,000 major transports. It is considered that 1,500 transports of the
Civil Air Fleet are immediately available to the Soviet Armed Forces for
airborne operations, but in an emergency it is believed this force could
be au ented by an additional 1,000 transports froa the normal Civil Air
Fleet requirements and at least 200 transports from the Long Range Air
Faroe This gives a total of 2,700 major transports (C-47 type) available
for airborne operations.
Trainily
There are indications that the status of trainin.g in the Soviet
Air s is not comparable to U.S. standards, particularly as regards
techniques for all-weather flying, high altitude bombing, long range
navigation, and mass formation flying. There is no doubt the Soviets
fully realize their weaknesses, and are endeavoring to raiae their standards
through a training program aimed at self-improvement coupled with the
exploitation of new equipment, The outstanding feature of the present
Soviet air training system is its flexibility. This allows it to shift
emphasis in training as required through the movement of units to various
1ocations where particular types of operations are emphasized.
Equipment
The effectivenss of an air force depends to a marked degree on the
inaiity of its equipment both airborne and ground. In this particular
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field the Soviets are considered to lag behind the U.S. Although they
have had access to many U.S. and German developments in the field of
airborne el-Ictronic equipment, bombsights and navigational instruments
ere is no intelligence upon which to base an estimate as to whether they
e produced these or similar equipments. One of their greatest
inadequacies is their inability to mass produce micro-wave tubes. Witout
these tubes in quantities there will be deficiencies in their early warning
their ground control intercept radar and their airborne intercept
radar. Without this equipment control of fighters, for the interception
of bombers, particularly high flying bombers will be difficult and
ineffective. Deficiencies may also exist in navigation instruments, mhich
might particularly affect Soviet long range bombing missions.
fteductinn
Aircraft production in the Soviet Union during 1948 is estinated
to tiae been 12,000 aircraft of which 6,216 were combat types (including
military transports and miscellaneous military types) ? Of these combat
atcraft approximately 1,305 were bombers, including an estimated 105 of
the B-29 type; the remainder were fighters, including an estim ted
1,619 jet, and ground attack types.
Dey.1oants and Technical Trends
The Soviets ended World War II tth very little dev1ozent
fields of jet propulsion. However, a considerable number of jet engines,
production facilities, research facilities, and development data were
obtained tram the Germans. These acquisitions have given the Soviets a
greatly increased capability in the development of modern aircraft. There
is every evidence that Russia is embarked upon a substantial program of air-
craft development, and there is no longer any reason to believe that the
Soviet aircraft program is materially behind our own. Indications are that
Russia has departed from ite World War II concept of air power as being
primarily for the support of ground troups. The greatest development noted
to date has been in fast jet propelled interceptors for defense of the
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omeland, and long range b ere for strategic air warfare at greater
stancee tram their boundaries than Russia has ever operated before.
It is probable that the Soviet 13-29 type now in use will be further
developed by installation of improved power plants but there is at present
no indication of this. Development may also be expected in the field of
1st bombers. In 1947 two of this type were displayed but neither were
considered as advanced designs suitable for production. In July 1946 a twin
engine jet bomber comparable to the U.S. 846 type was flown. It is
estimated to have a maximum speed of about 470 bots at S.L. It ie known too
that development was continuing after World War II on some of the German
jet bomber projects. It is therefore estinated that in 1950 the Soviets
will have light jet bombers in production.
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