FOLLOW-UP TO BRIEFING OF SENATOR STENNIS AND BOMBER DEFENSE SUB-COMMITTEE, 24 MARCH 1969

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79B00972A000100580004-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 30, 1998
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: March 26, 1969
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2007103/Q3: CIA-RDP79BOC19Z2AOQO 0004l,
SUBJECT Follow-up to Briefing of Senator
Stennis and Bomber Defense Sub-
Committee, 24 March 1969
1. In further response to one of Mr. Kendall's
final questions, these are
bomber numbers during the
the estimated Soviet
coming ten years:
heavy
Mid-1970:
105 - 110 Bears
75 - 85 Bisons (including
tankers)
180 - 195
Mid-1973:
90 - 105 Bears
60 - 75 Bisons (including
tankers)
Mid-1978:
30 -
50 Bears
20 -
40 Bisons (including
tankers)
2. In response to Senator Stennis' query--Soviet
heavy bombers represent what percentage of Soviet in-
tercontinental nuclear attack capability?--we must
answer in several ways.
a. In terms of numbers of delivery
vehicles (aircraft, ICBMs, and SLBMs),
heavy bombers and ASM carriers make up
about 1.0 percent of the Soviet intercon-
tinental delivery capability. We do not
include tankers in this calculation.
TS 199008
Copy
 b. In terms of both megatonnage and
numbers of individual warheads, heavy
bombers can deliver 10-15 percent of the
total Soviet intercontinental threat, de-
pending on the mix of weapons carried.
c. According to present estimates,
these percentages will steadily decrease
over the next few years as new ICBMs and
SLBMs become operational and the bomber
force declines.
Distribution:
Acting Deputy Direct-Or
Strategic Research
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