CCPC STUDY ON INDIAN OCEAN AREA INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82B00421R000100030029-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 17
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 1, 2007
• Sequence Number: 29
• Publication Date: February 2, 1976
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2007102/01 :CIA-RDP82B00421 8000100030029-6
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 TOP SECRET
USIB - D-64. 1
2 February 1976
Limited Distribution
UNITED STATES I N T E L L I G E N C E BOAR D
MEMORANDUM FOR THE UNITED STAT ES INT ELLIGENCE BOARD
SUBJECT CCPC Study on Indian Ocean Area
Intelligence Collection
REFERENCES : a. USIB-D-64.6/53, 31 July 1972, limited
distribution
b. USIB-M-627, 14 September 1972, Secretary's
Note No. 9
1. The enclosed memorandum from the Acting Chairman, Critical
Collection Problems Committee (CCPC), and its attached study on the
subject is forwarded for USIB consideration. This study is an update of
the 1972 CCPC Study on Indian Ocean Area Intelligence Collection
(reference a. ) and examines current collection activities, determines
what improvements in intelligence coverage have been achieved and what
additional measures should be undertaken. The CCPC recommends that
the USIB:
a. Note the attached Back-up Study and Special Annex; and
b. Approve the Conclusions (Section III, p.6) and
Recommendations (Section IV, p. 7).
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Z February 1976
Lirniled Distribution
2. It is planned to schedule this subject on a USIB agenda for
Board consideration at an early date.
.Executive Secretary
TOP SECRET
 Enclosure
U S IB-D-64.6 / 61
CRITICAL COLLECTION PROBLEMS COMMITTEE
OF THE
UNITED STATES INTELLIGENCE BOARD
12 January 1976
MEMORANDUM FOR THE UNITED STATES INTELLIGENCE BOARD
SUBJECT: CCPC Study on Indian Ocean Area Intelligence
Collection
1. The attached Critical Collection Problems Committee (CCPC)
Study is an update of the 1972 CCPC Indian Ocean Area Intelligence
Collection Study. This Study examines current collection activities,
determines what improvements in intelligence coverage have been
achieved and what additional measures should be undertaken.
2. The Study is submitted in two parts: (a) a covering report
containing the highlights of the intelligence activities against
Soviet activities in the Indian Ocean area and general conclusions
concerning them; and (b) a Back-up Study. (A Special Annex is
forwarded in separate channels.)
4. It is recommended that the USIB:
a. Note the attached Back-up Study and Special Annex; and
b. Approve the Conclusions (Sec
Recommendations (Section III
tion III, p. 6) and I
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o se R. Page
Acting Chairman
 Critical Collection
Problems Committee
Indian Ocean Area Inte!,'.igence Collection
Top Secre
USIB-D-64.6/61
CCPC-D-1 /76
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 .t -
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 CCPC STUDY ON
INDIAN OCEAN AREA INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.
INTRODUCTION . .
, 1
II.
SUMMARY ANALYSIS
2
III.
CONCLUSIONS
.6
IV.
RECOMMENDATIONS
.7
 A. The Critical Collection Problems Committee was requested to
update its 1972 Indian Ocean Area Intelligence Collection Study to
include: (1) a resurvey of the situation in the Indian Ocean area
relative to Soviet presence and activities; (2) identification of
community intelligence needs on this problem; (3) an examination of
current collection activities; (4) determination of what improvements
in intelligence coverage have been achieved; and (5) what, if any,
additional measures should be undertaken. As in the previous study,
the Indian Ocean area is defined to include the Bay of Bengal, Andaman
Sea, Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Aden, and the Red Sea.
B. The back-up study presents an in-depth examination of this
problem and is the basis of Section III-Conclusions and Recommendations.
 A. The Soviets continue to use their naval forces and activities
in the Indian Ocean to further their image as a global military power
as well as to enhance their political image. During the past seven
years, there has been a slow but steady increase in the Soviet presence
in the Indian Ocean area and this increase is expected to continue
gradually over the next several years. The greatest progress by .he
Soviets has been made in their negotiations with some governments of
the littoral countries for port and logistic facilities support,
as exemplified in Somalia. U.S. interest in this area has generally
expanded commensurate with the increase of Soviet naval activity in the
area and as a result of growing U.S. awareness of the strategic potential
of the Indian Ocean and heightened interest in the area's resources,
especially oil from the Persian Gulf littoral countries.
B. Specific categories of U.S. information needs on Soviet Indian
Ocean area activities remain the same as in 1972.
C. Although the overall U.S. capability to respond to the above
intelligence information needs has improved substantially since 1972,
it continues to be less than adequate. Some of this deficiency is
expected to be lessened with the implementation of new and improved
collection resources over the next few years. However, the inadequacy
will continue as long as the Indian Ocean area continues to be assigned
a low priority in the intelligence community.
 SUDAN)
F.T.A
CARGADOS (.ARAJfS
Ar AI~P i1 r111
NICOBAR IS
SRI LANKA (INDIA)
(CLYI ON)
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 CCPC BACK-UP STUDY
ON
INDIAN OCEAN AREA INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION
USIB-D-64.6/ 61
CCPC-D-1 / 7 6
12 January 1976
WE
 CCPC BACK-UP STUDY
ON
INDIAN OCEAN AREA INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
IR
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 I. SITUATION IN THE INDIAN OCEAN AREA
A. General
The current and devglgll_~ situation in the Indian Ocean area
has been addressed February 1974, Implications of
Reopening the Suez Canal; November 1974, Soviet Naval
Policies and Programs; an in a response to National Security Study
Memoranda (NSSM) 199, 23 May 1974, "Indian Ocean Strategy." In addition,
extracts have been included from CIA Director Colby's testimony to the
U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Military Construction (1 August 1974) on the
subject of Soviet Presence in the Indian Ocean, and from the U.S. Naval
Intelligence Assessment of Soviet Naval Deployment to the Indian Ocean.
The following is drawn largely from these documents.
B. Soviet Naval Activities in the Indian Ocean Area
1, The Soviet naval buildup and presence in the Indian Ocean
area are intended in part to further the image of the USSR as a global
military power able at least to hold its own with the United States and
to limit the future role of China in the area. During the last seven
years, the Soviet naval presence in the Indian Ocean has grown slowly
but steadily, enabling Moscow to buttress its image as a super power in
the eyes of most littoral states. Soviet activity has been highly re-
sponsive to regional developments and to Western naval operations. The
USSR responded to the Middle East war and the arrival of a U.S. carrier
task group in late October 1973 by almost doubling the number of warships
in the area, Although the Soviet naval combatant presence does not appear
to be designed for local intervention, if there was no countervailing
power, the Soviets might attempt to use military force in dealing with
some of the littoral states.
2, The Soviets have thus far been employing naval forces in
the Indian Ocean area primarily to gain politico-military image. Their
forces deployed to this area make many "show the flag" port visits to
demonstrate support for friendly and client regimes. The Soviet ships
spend a large portion of their time at anchor. The pace of operations,
however, has been gradually increasing during the past two years and is
becoming more concentrated in the northwestern Indian Ocean and the Gulf
of Aden. Soviet ships conduct limited exercises, engage in surveillance
of Western forces, and sporadically patrol in the Straits of Hormuz and
Bab El Mandeb. In addition, Soviet naval units in the Indian Ocean
USIB-D-64.6/61
CCPC-D-1/76
12 January 1976
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