PENTAGON REPORT SAYS SOVIET SPURS ITS ARMS PROGRAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000403310017-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 9, 2012
• Sequence Number: 17
• Publication Date: April 3, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/02/09 :CIA-RDP90-009658000403310017-6
A~~"F3'~ NEW YORK TIMES
~'' '.'~ 3 Apri 1, 1985
PENTAGON REPORT
SAYS SOVIET SPURS
ITS ARMS PROGRAM
By BILL [BLLER
St~v m ib Nw Yost Timr
WASHINGTON, Aprll 2 -The De-
fence Department today made public a
i new assessment of Soviet military
power, dtiarting what the Pentagon
called continuing. rapid progress in
weapons technology.
It said that progress was especially
marked in submarines, nuclear mis-
siles and space weaponry.
The report spoke of an expanding
Soviet program in laser weapon re-
search, which it said was part of a ,
drive for superiority is space weapons
that demonstrated the need for Presi- i
dent Reagaa's owe space-based mrs-
sale defense program. ~
Lases Weapon Are Described
The Russians were reported to have
built Prototype ground-based laser
weapons deemed capable of interfering
with American sateWtes and of being
deployed by the late 1980'x.
The report also provided details of
hat intelligence otfidals said was an
increas menacing Sovie_ t vosture
in urope c udin? pn_a*+Rion of the
arsenal of medium- missiles and
e oraanua ono two new army divi-
.'presumably regret that they didn't
get the sergeant" who accompanied ,
Major Nicholson on a pictutn-taking
mission at Soviet military installation
is East Germany.
The Defense Secretary said the
United States Army commander in
Western Europe should wait for an
apology before meeting with his Soviet
cour-terpart to discuss the incident.
"I think he should take the approadr
of waiting until the Soviets make some
kind of an apology that verges sumo-
what more slightly on dvilized behav-
ior than they have exhibited thus tar,"
.he said.
? The State Department amtounced
Saturday tbst the American and soviet
uld meet to discuss the
d
More SS-!Ns Reported Depbyed
The Pentagon report said the Rus?
sians were continuing to deploy SS-20's
as the United States proceeded with its
deployment of Pershing 2 and cruise
missiles !n Western Europe. Pentagon
otfidals said the number of SS-20's,
each with three warheads, had in-
creased from 378 a year ago to 414.
In an expanded description of Soviet
forces in Europe, the report spoke of
two innovative "operation maneuver
groups" that cAUld be used for quick
raids through enemy lines, and of a
reorganization of the Soviet Air Force,
reportedly intended to improve its ca-
padty for alarge-scale air attack.
The report said that Soviet forces
-- At a news conference, Defense Secro- and engineers workingbn laser weap-
tary Caspar W. Weinberger said the onry. It said the Russians "_z~pparen~
document demonstrated the "very re- believe" thaNasers, along
leafless" nature of the Soviet buildup, remote technologies such as particle
and the need for continued American beams and radio frequency weapons.
weapons modernization to match it. will be the future means both for at-
tacking satellites acrd for defending
Senate Panel Takes Up Budget '~ against missiles.
The publication of the fourth annual But the Pentagon acknowledged that
Penta assessment, called "Soviet the Soviet Union faced difficulties in
gun turning lasers into a missile defense
Military power." came as the Senate system. The report said that the apera-
Armed Services Committee began tion of such a system "is not likely is
work on three versions of a military this century..,
spending bill that would cut President', The document included the first ofS-
Reagan'amilitarybudget by anywhere ~i cial reports of some new weapon devel-
irom ie billion to i20 billion. opments. They were the flight teat of an
lace
e
t
il
i
~jt t~ news conference, Mr: Wean-
ber?eralso made his sharcest attack to
date on the Soviet Union for the killirr
of an American Army is iBence otri-
cer in East~~ '
The Defense r'Y+ d~~6
from the more cortdllatory tone taken
by the State Departr4e~ since the
March 24 incident, said the death of the
officer, Maj. Arthur D. Nicholson Jr.,
was not an isolated act but as expres-
sion of Soviet policy~d the Russians
Mr. Weinberger
wo
men
cum etc
incident, but no date has been set. A' had stockpiled ammunition for 80 to 90
State eat spokesman, told days in the western region, closest to
.about berger's remark. said Western Europe. That would compare
today: "We think it is appropriate !or ~ih about 30 days of ammuNtion for
the Soviet Union to apologize but it is American troops and only 5 to 10 days
not a precondition for the talks already for the Western European allies.
agreed to." The report said the Soviet Union was
near deployment of two new ICBM's,
Beamed by TV Arotmd the World the singlo-warhead SS-25 and the multi-
Mr. Weinberger's news canterence Ple-warhead SS-Z4.
was timed for 8:15 A.M. so that it could "If the Russians wanted to, they
be beamed arotmd the world by the d ~~ tommorTOw a aerense
television satellite of the United States intelliQerrce o s o t e ,
Information Service. ?~+~+~^? r c was exoecte to
The Pentagon document was rear- ~ be deoloved next veer.
ranged from Previous editions to high- In addition, the report said, .'recent
light Soviet developments in aatimis- i activi " on Soviet test ranges indi-
sile defenses and space weaponry ~~ sated ttyhat the Russians were at work
a view to fending ofi criticism of the ~ ~ ~ ~~~~ ~cluding a more
similar Americas efforts.
"These are systems thaTthe Soviets accurate .successor to the 10-warhead
are attempting to keep the Americans ~ SS-18.
from achieving," Mr. Weinberger said; ~ that the eSoviet Uru~?onrtdrad not expand
"They apparently waM a monopoly. r1,o dnntnvment of land-based ICBM's,
o r
p
e
ss
intermediato-range m
the SS-20; signs of two experimental in-
tercontinental ballistic missiles. and
the first report and Photograph of an
advanced class of nuclear-Powered at-
tack submarine. the Akuls.
st ~ Pgrvwth~ estimates showed
in the number of war-
heads deployed.
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/02/09 :CIA-RDP90-009658000403310017-6