Soviet Naval Forces And Nuclear Warfare: Weapons, Employment, And Policy

297 Pages·7.256 MB·English

by  James J Tritten

Soviet Naval Forces
and Nuclear Warfare

About the Book and Author
Based on formal content analysis of the
writings of Admiral Sergei G. Gorshkov and past
Soviet ministers of defense and heads of the
Politburo, James J. Tritten interprets what the
Soviets say they will do in the event of nuclear
war. He then constructs a hardware and exercise
analysis of the strategic employment of the Soviet
Navy in a nuclear war, offering three possible
cases--the "bolt from the blue," with existing
forces on patrol; full mobilization; and a plau-
sible case of partial mobilization. In addition,
Dr. Tritten examines, from a Soviet perspective,
concepts of deterrence, the strategic goals and
missions of the fleet, nuclear targeting policy,
the Sea Lines of Communication (SLOC) disruption
mission, and the potential for tactical nuclear
warfare limited to the sea. The author concludes
by assessing the implications of Soviet politico-
military planning for Western defense strategy and
arms control.
Commander James J. Tritten is currently
assigned as Assistant Director, Net Assessment, in
the Office of the u.s. Secretary of Defense.

Soviet Naval Forces
and Nuclear Warfare
Weapons, Employment, and Policy
James J. Tritten
First published 1986 by Westview Press
Published 2019 by Routledge
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Copyright ©1986 Taylor & Francis
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Tritten, James John.
Soviet naval forces and nuclear warfare.
(Westview special studies in military affairs)
Includes index.
1. Soviet Union--Military policy. 2. Soviet Union.
Voenno-morskoi f1ot. 3. Nuclear weapons--Soviet Union.
I. Title. II. Series.
VA573.T75 1986 359'.03-0947 86-4037
ISBN 13: 978-0-367-28830-3 (hbk)
Contents
List of Tables • • • • • • . . . . . . xi
Acknowledgments • • • • • • • • • • • xiii
PARI' I ccm'ENT ANALYSIS
CHAPI'ER 1 INTOODUCTION 3
CHAPI'ER 2 METHOOOLCX;Y • • • • • • • • • • • • • 11
Previous Investigations • • 12
Data to Be Analyzed 13
Hypothesis Testing • • • • • • 17
Analysis Mechanics • • • • • • 19
CHAPI'ER 3 NAVAL INFWENCE CN WAR ••••••• 25
Victory in War • • • • • • • • • • • 26
Influence on Outcome of war • • • 27
Influence on Course of war • • 30
Means to Influence Outcome and
Course of war • • • • • • • • 31
Strategic Missions and Goals •• 32
Strikes •••••••••.• .• .• • • • 34
Findings ••••••• • • 34
CHAPI'ER 4 FLEET VERSUS SHORE • • • • • 41
Missions • • • • • • • • • • 42
~iet Submarine Strikes • • • • 43
Targets of Soviet Submarine
Strikes • • • • • • • • • • •• 43
Sea Lines of Communication (SLOes) •• 48
Findings • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 49
vii
viii
OiAPI'ER 5 FLEET VERSUS FLEET ••••••••••• 53
Threats .from the Sea • • • • • • • 54
Prevention of Attacks on USSR • • • • • • 57
Protection of the Soviet Fleet • • • 59
Naval Aviation • • • • • • 60
SUrface Ships • • • • • • • 60
SUbmarines • • • • • • • • • 61
'!he "Blue Belt of Defense". • • • • • 64
Findings • • • • • • • • • • 65
CHAPI'ER 6 SOVIET MILITARY STRATEGY • 69
General, Linli ted tbclear
and Conventional war ••• 69
Deterrence • • • • • • • • • • 71
Withholding ••••••••••••••• 73
l!dvantages of Naval Forces ••••••• 74
Command and Control • • • • • • 75
Naval Art Versus Military
Strategy • • • • • • • • • • 76
Naval cperational Art and Tactics • 78
Latent Lessons of History 79
CZarist History • • 80
w:>rld war I • • • • • • 81
Inter-war Years • • • • 82
w:>rld war II • • • • 85
Post-war Era • • • • • • • • • • • 88
Value of Historical Analysis • • • • • • 90
Arms Control Impact • • • • • • 91
CHAPI'ER 7 FINDINGS OF De<:I.ARATORY POLICY • • • 97
Bastions • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 97
Withholding SSBNs • • • • • • • • • • 98
Targeting • • ••••••••• 99
Sea Lines of Conununication (SIOC) 100
Tactical Nuclear war at Sea • • • • 101
PARI' II HARDWARE ANALYSIS
. . . . . . .
CHAPTER 8 ME'IHOOOI.OOY • • 105
. . . .
CHAPTER 9 STRATEX;IC NUCLEAR FORCES 113
Static Measurements • 113
Dynanic Measurements • • • 125
ix
CHAPI'ER 10 NUCLEAR THREAT ASSESSMENT • • • • • • • • 133
Bolt from the Blue • • • • • • • 133
Mobilization • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 136
Su.rge • • • • • • • • • • • • 139
0 0 0 0 0 0
Assessment of Counterforce
Iamage to u.s. . . . . . . 142
0 0
C3 Disruption • • • • 142
0 0 0 0 0
ICBM Pin-Down • • • • • • 143
0 0
Attacks on Bombers/Naval
Bases • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 144
Counterforce Assessment • • • 146
Assessenent of Countervalue
Damage to u.s. . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
CHAP!'ER 11 NAVY STRATOOIC NUCLEAR FORCE ISSUES • 153
0 0
Withholding • • • • • • • • • • • 153
0 0
Exercises • • • • • • • • • • • • • 156
0
Yankee Obsolescence • • • • • • • • 157
0
Ballistic Missiles Versus Fleets 159
0 0
SSBN Air Defense • • • • • • .160
CHAPI'ER 12 SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF NAVY
STRATEX3IC NUCLEAR FORCES 163
0
Strategic Missile MIRVing • 164
0
SLBM Reliability • • • . . . . 167
0 0 0
MIRV and Reliability • • • 169
0
SSBN Deployment Areas • 170
0
CHAP!'ER 13 GENERAL PURPOSE FORCES 175
0
Data Base ••••••• 175
0 0 0 0 0 0
Task Group Baseline •••• 179
0
General PUrpose Force Issues 183
0
SLOC Mission • • • • • • • • • 189
0 0 0 0 0
PARI' III FINDINGS AND CCNCWSIONS
CHAPl'ER 14 FINDINGS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 197
Navy Strategic R.Iclear Forces ••• • 197
Forward-Based Systems • • • • • • • 199
Long-Range Systems in Soviet
'\i:lters • • • • • • • • • • • 200
'!heater Systems • • • • • • • • • • 203