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US declaratory policy on Soviet SSBN security: 1970 to 1985. Final research memorandum report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6777117
U.S. defense officials have often said that the Soviet Union expects Western antisubmarine warfare (ASW) forces to attack its ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) and thus is prepared to defend them in war. These Soviet expectations may have been encouraged by U.S. declaratory policy on the subject--that is, the totality of official and other authoritative statements on strategic doctrine and policy, ASW capabilities and tactics, and ASW technology and programs from which Soviet observers reach conclusions about U.S. intentions. This paper reviews U.S. declaratory policy between 1970 and 1985 to determine specifically what that policy has been and then to infer what it has probably meant to the Soviets. It concludes that throughout this period official U.S. declatory policy has implied an intent to engage in strategic ASW and that the Soviets have had strong reasons to believe that their SSBNs have been and will continue to be targets of U.S. ASW forces.
Research Organization:
Center for Naval Analyses, Alexandria, VA (USA). Naval Warfare Operations Div.
OSTI ID:
6777117
Report Number(s):
AD-A-175532/1/XAB; CRM-84-29
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English