(UNTITLED)

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
T
Document Page Count: 
36
Document Creation Date: 
January 12, 2017
Document Release Date: 
June 10, 2011
Sequence Number: 
5
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
March 1, 1986
Content Type: 
REPORT
File: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4.pdf1.24 MB
Body: 
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 el- Directorate of 416_ Intelligence The Soviet General Staff: Managing Change in Military Doctrine A Research Paper Top Secret SOV 86-10014JX March 1986 Copy 379 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Directorate of To i Secret Intelligence The Soviet General Staff: Managing Change in Military Doctrine A Research Paper This paper was prepared by the Office of Soviet Analysis. Comments and queries are welcome and may be directed to the Chief, European Assessments Division, SOVA, Top Secret so V 86-100I4JX March 1986 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Key Judgments Information available as of I March 1986 was used in this report. The Soviet General Staff: Managing Change in Military Doctrine The Soviet General Staff determines the content of Soviet military doctrine and has developed a highly structured system for review and revision when needed. It also actively enforces compliance with doctrine throughout the armed forces. Acting for the political and military leader- ship, the General Staff decides which aspects of doctrine require examina- tion and who will carry out the review. The steps through which changes in doctrine are developed and implemented include: ? Military science plans. The General Staff prepares a five-year military science plan for the armed forces. This serves as a basis for five-year plans in the main staff of each branch of the armed forces, the military academies, groups of forces, military districts, and fleets. The plans direct research on the nature of warfare, force organization and capabili- ties, planning and conduct of military operations, and the doctrine and forces of prospective enemies. They set objectives for all areas of military science research and assign specific tasks to the military science organs of staffs at various levels of command and to military academies, schools, and scientific research institutes. The General Staff reviews each of these plans annually. It also prepares a five-year plan for the Warsaw Pact that is based on the plan for the Soviet armed forces. ? Military exercises. The Soviets implement various aspects of their military science plans during exercises, which they sometimes term "experimental" or "special" if a new concept or weapons system is being tested. Moreover, they use exercises to continue testing the validity of their current doctrine. Military science research groups are formed for many exercises to obtain information, analyze it, and make recommenda- tions to the General Staff. ? Military regulations. These are compiled by General Staff officers and combine combat and exercise experience with the ideas of military theorists. Soviet writings and human sources assert that regulations are valid statements of doctrine, reflect actual force organization and capabilities, and constitute a code of laws governing the employment of all the branches of the armed forces in wartime. The Manual for the Conduct of Operations dictates how fronts, fleets, armies, and probably corps are to plan and execute their operations; the Field Service Regulations and various other combat regulations and manuals indicate how divisions and their subordinate units are to fight. Top Secret Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Top Secret From a detailed examination of Soviet regulations and authoritative writings, it is apparent that the primary factor that prompts the General Staff to change doctrine is the technology?either in hand or emergent?of the weapons and equipment used to wage war. Their system affords the Soviets distinct advantages as well as disadvan- tages. The General Staff can exercise practical authority in doctrinal matters, not just provide guidance. This helps to ensure the compatibility of doctrine with the force development process, in which the General Staff also a s the rimar role. Top Secret vi Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 _ Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 _ Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Contents Page Preface iii Key Judgments V The Importance of Soviet Military Doctrine 1 Role of the General Staff 1 Comparison With US Doctrine 3 Key Factors Affecting Change in Soviet Doctrine 4 The Historical Experience 5 Recent Developments 9 The East Europeans 16 Conclusions 19 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Implications 19 Outlook 21 25X1 ix Toi Secret 25X1 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Top Secret The Soviet General Staff: Managing Change in Military Doctrine The Importance of Soviet Military Doctrine Soviet military doctrine (voyennaya doktrina) governs the planning for and conduct of military operations. It is based on the principles of Soviet military science and approved by the highest Soviet civilian and military command authorities?in peacetime, the Po- litburo, Defense Council, and Collegium of the Minis- try of Defense?and therefore has the status of state policy.' This process provides a Marxist-Leninist con- tent that imbues Soviet military doctrine with a political and moral authority not found in Western concepts of doctrine, and makes it by definition both "scientific" and officially sanctioned. It is also, ac- cording to the Soviets, totally consistent with their Marxist-Leninist world view and the political policies of the Soviet Communist Party and state. We judge it is the major factor in determining how the Soviet armed forces are to be used in battle. The term voyennaya doktrina is routinely translated as military doctrine but in many instances "national security policy" would be a more accurate translation of the Soviet meaning. Voyennaya doktrina encom- passes the preparations for and the nature and objec- tives of a future war, as well as the methods of fighting it. Only the last would commonly be found in a Western definition of military doctrine. The Soviets view Western concepts of doctrine as encompassing only what they define as the military- technical component of doctrine?the planning and conduct of combat operations. The military-technical component is unstable, changes as conditions change, and is contingent on the level of the technical and industrial base of the nation. From the Soviet perspec- tive, Western concepts lack the sociopolitical compo- nent of doctrine that in Soviet doctrine is both stable and deterministic because of its foundation in Marx- ist-Leninist theory. ' In wartime, these authorities would be transformed into national command organs like the State Defense Committee and Supreme High Command formed during World War II. 25X1 25X1 Role of the General Staff The Soviet General Staff determines the content of military doctrine by actively controlling the process by which doctrine is revised and promulgated in new military regulations: ? It determines the content of military science plans in the armed forces, which serves as the basis for developing changes in doctrine. ? It establishes commissions to review current regula- tions and make changes in their contents. ? It controls the flow of information presented to the Soviet national command authorities, thereby assur- ing that all doctrine approved accords with the views of the General Staff. As the executive agent of the Supreme High Com- mand, the General Staff also enforces compliance with doctrine. General Staff officers have the primary responsibility for drafting Soviet war plans, at least 25X1 down to division level, and the General Staff would exercise operational control of the armed forces in wartime. Thus, it can ensure that operations are both planned and conducted according to doctrine. 25X1 25X1 25X1 A front is a joint-forces command roughly equivalent to a NATO army group and its associated tactical air force. ,25X1 LA I 25X1 Top Secret Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Top Secret Soviet Military Theory The following definitions of the principles of Soviet military theory have been drawn from authoritative military writings: Military doctrine is the official state view on the nature of war, the likely opponents in a war, the structure of the armed forces, the use of the armed forces in combat, and the preparation of the country for war. It is based on the principles of Soviet military science and, in turn, provides general guid- ance for military science research. It has two ele- ments, sociopolitical and military-technical. The first establishes the Marxist-Leninist context in which warfare occurs; the second guides the planning and conduct of combat operations. Military science concerns the laws and nature of armed conflict and the military preparations by the country and armed forces for war. Its most important component is military art, or how a war is fought, and is composed of: (1) strategy?the planning and con- duct of war as a whole, the training of the armed forces, and the support of combat operations; (2) operational art?the planning and conduct of opera- tions by large forces; and (3) tactics?the preparation and conduct of a battle. Military scientific research is divided into four gener- al areas: ? Military-political: The study of the military-theo- retical tenets of Marxism-Leninism and the appli- cation of these principles to research on military issues. ? Military-theoretical: The investigation of the basic problems of military science and art, especially the preparation of the armed forces for combat, their conduct in battle, and their logistic support. ? Military-technical: The development of new and improvement of existing weapons and equipment and the testing of their effectiveness and compatibility. ? Military-historical: The examination of principles and trends in the evolution of military art, and the study of the experience of past wars and their application to the present and future. Military scientific work includes the synthesis of research and experience and the introduction of new principles into regulations; the development of mathe- matical models of operations and battles and the use of these in "forecasting" the results of combat; the preparation of military science publications; and the conduct of military science conferences. Top Secret The Soviets use three types of orders: prikaz, direktiv, and ukazaniye. The first is a simple, direct order from a commander to his subordinates and carries neither explanation nor justification. Only the commander and his chief of staff may issue prikazy. A direktiv is an order that contains a brief explanation according to a standard format. Direktivy are routinely issued by the staff in the name of the commander. An ukazaniye is a detailed explanation of an order drafted by an appropriate staff officer. 2 - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Top Secret Comparison With US Doctrine In contrast to the Soviets, each branch of the US armed forces develops its own "doctrine." The US Army's new Air-Land Battle doctrine, for example, is a product of the Army's Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) and its Command and Gener- al Staff College. Moreover, the field manual describ- ing the Air-Land Battle doctrine, Operations (FM 100-5)?unlike equivalent Soviet manuals?is an un- classified publication. The doctrines of the US Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps also are the products of their respective war and staff colleges and training and operational commands. The US Government has no officially approved state doctrine in the Soviet sense, except for general statements of policy or strategic concepts. 25X1 25X1 The US Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), unlike the Soviet General Staff, do not establish (or even approve) doctrine for the individual services. Nor does the JCS maintain operational control of the US armed forces, although by law the Chiefs are responsible for their "strategic direction." The commanders of the respec- tive regional and functional unified and specified commands exercise operational control on behalf of US national command authorities, the President, and Secretary of Defense. The JCS, however, serves as the principal military adviser to the President, Secretary of Defense, and National Security Council. It also establishes doctrine for joint operations and training, prepares plans for strategic operations, and reviews the plans of the unified and specified commands. This enables the Chiefs to exert influence over the planning of military operations, although not necessarily over their execution. 25X1 Therefore, the Joint Chiefs lack the General Staff's authority to promulgate doctrine and impose it on the 25X1 various services. The US armed forces plan and fight by employing several distinct doctrines, although these are compatible in many respects. Furthermore, 25X1 US commanders traditionally have interpreted mili- tary doctrine in a creative manner, frequently using it mainly as a guide and departing from it as the situation dictates. Unlike his US counterpart, a Soviet officer incurs significant risks if he departs from the regulations. 25X1 3 Top Secret - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Top Secret Key Factors Affecting Change in Soviet Doctrine Authoritative Soviet writings state that the most important factors affecting the principles of opera- tional art and tactics are the: ? Nature of the operational environment. The meth- ods for conducting an operation can vary drastically if it occurs in an urban area, on the steppes, in the desert or mountains, in a tropical climate, or at sea. ? Degree of mobility of the forces and their ability to maneuver. Forces that are mobile, such as motor- ized rifle or self-propelled artillery units, can ma- neuver on the battlefield more rapidly than forces that are less mobile, thereby improving their capa- bility to avoid destruction and achieve combat objectives. ? Firepower of the forces. This, too, can vary drasti- cally depending on the number of weapons available and whether conventional or nuclear weapons are employed. An unclassified study sponsored by the Office of Soviet Analysis supports the conclusions in this paper regarding the factors leading to change in Soviet doctrine. The study, entitled Historical Analy- sis of the Use of Mobile Forces by the USSR, was done by the Center for Strategic Technology, Texas A&M University. Top Secret Figure 2. Joseph Stalin As chief of the Soviet wartime national command authorities?the State Defense Committee and the Supreme High Command?Stalin played the dominant role in determining military doctrine. He personally reviewed regulations and manuals submitted to the Stavka of the Supreme High Command by the General Staff His five -perma- nent operating factors- formed the basis of Soviet military thought until his death in 1953. These factors were the (1) stability of the rear, (2) morale of the army, (3) quantity and quality of divisions, (4) quantity and quality of armament, and (5) organizing ability of command personnel. 4 Newsweek Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Top Secret 25X1 25X1 Authoritative military writings also consistently em- phasize the importance for military doctrine of such factors as Soviet national policy, enemy policy and doctrine, geography, and combat experience, whether Soviet or that of another state. The Historical Experience Although many changes in doctrine, have been evolutionary, the Soviets consider those caused by the development of nuclear 25X1 25X1 5 Top Secret Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Top Secret Figure 3. Mikhail Frunze Peoples Commissar of Military and Naval Affairs (1925) Chief of the Staff of the Workers and Peasants Red Army (1924-25) Mikhail Frunze was a prominent military theo- rist during the early years of the Soviet state. His numerous books and articles on military affairs, which he analyzed according to the principles of Marxism-Leninism, helped lay the foundation of Soviet doctrine. Frunze was an army and front commander during the Russian Civil War, and he has been referred to as the "Soviet Clausewitz. warheads, ballistic missiles, computers, and modern communications to be revolutionary. Some historical examples will illustrate how the vari- ous factors, particularly technology, have altered doc- trine as stipulated by General Staff officers in the regulations or reflected in authoritative Soviet mili- tary writings:' ? The 1936 FSRs codified V. K. Triandafilov's theory of the "deep operation," in which aircraft, tanks, and motorized infantry in concert were to strike Top Secret Figure 4. MSU Mikhail N. Tukhachevskiy Chief of the Staff of the Workers and Peasants Red Army (1925-28) Marshal Tukhachevskiy was one of the founders of Soviet military thought. He believed that doctrine is driven primarily by technology. He was a prominent member of the commissions that drafted the 1925, 1929, and 1936 Field Service Regulations. Tukhachevskiy was a chief propo- nent of the combined-arms "deep operation" of the 1930s that was the precursor of today's "strategic operation," which is to be conducted by all branches of the armed forces to the depth of a theater of military operations. nearly 300 kilometers into the enemy rear.' Faulty force organization and a shortage of modern equip- ment, however, contributed to the Soviet inability to implement this doctrine in the months following the Nazi invasion. ? Several versions of the FSRs, incorporating the latest combat experience, were drafted during World War II. Considerable emphasis was placed on the employment of new armored forces (includ- ing the T-34 medium and KV and JS heavy tanks), The Soviets were not the only proponents of such theories. Capt. B. H. Liddell-Hart, Gen. Heinz Guderian, Col. Charles de Gaulle, and others advocated the employment of combined arms, with emphasis on the support of armored operations. These theories were adopted initially by the Germans and became common practice during World War II. 6 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Top Secret often as "mobile groups" used to complete or exploit the breakthrough of enemy defenses. The lessons of the war were subsequently "confirmed" in the 1948 FSRs. ? Manuals on the conduct of nuclear warfare were issued for the first time in 1954 for at least the operational and tactical levels of command. ? A discussion of conventional and nuclear operations was combined for the first time in the 1959 FSRs. These also incorporated organizational changes al- ready in effect in the Ground Forces, notably the abolition of rifle corps and the establishment of motorized rifle divisions during the mid-1950s. The Soviets instituted these changes to reflect the com- plete mechanization of the Ground Forces and to facilitate effective troop control. ? The 1963 FSRs emphasized the primary role of nuclear weapons in combat. This almost certainly was in response to the de lo ment of im roved delivery systems 7 These changes in doctrine have included major reap- praisals of the way the Soviets view nuclear warfare. 25X1 25X1 25X1 Soviet writings assert that the major impetus for changes in doctrine during the last two decades has 25X1 been the introduction of improved nuclear and con- 25X1 ventional weapon systems, as well as an increase in their numbers. These weapons included the FROG-7 rock- 25X1 et, BMP infantry combat vehicle, 122-mm self-pro- pelled howitzer, and tanks equipped with antinuclear Top Secret Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 25X1 25X1 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Top Secret Figure 5. MSU Boris M. Shaposhnikov Chief of the Staff of the Workers and Peasants Red Army (1928-31) Chief of the Soviet General Stuff (1937-40, 1941-42) Marshal Shaposhnikov was a military historian, theorist, and author of the classic on military leadership, The Brain of the Army. He was an advocate of a strong General Staff "correspond- ing to the direction of war and preparation for it. In 1941 he was reputed to have organized the Stavka of the Supreme High Command and to have planned the defense of Moscow from the Germans. Stalin and Foreign Minister V. M. Molotov attended his lectures at the General Staff Academy during the 1930s. protective devices and better armor. The increase in firepower and the greater range, accuracy, and mobil- ity of these weapons were expected to improve the overall operational effectiveness of the Ground Forces in conventional or nuclear combat. Top Secret Figure 6. MSU Georgiy K. Zhukov Chief of the Soviet General Staff (1941) Deputy Supreme Commander in Chief of the Soviet Armed Forces (1942-45) Minister of Defense (1955-57) Marshal Zhukov was the most celebrated soldier in Soviet history and the primary executor of military doctrine during World War II. His campaigns against the Japanese and Germans also led to substantial changes in doctrine, mili- tary science, and the Field Service Regulations. Zhukov was an advocate of modernization throughout the Soviet armed forces while Minis- ter of Defense. Khrushchev feared his popularity and dismissed him from the Politburo and De- fense Ministry 8 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Recent Developments During the 1980s the Soviets have been instituting major changes in their command structure and the organization of their armed forces. These changes have included the activation of three new theater high commands, the reorganization of Soviet air and air defense forces, and the experimentation with the operational maneuver group (OMG) concept.' In ad- dition, the Soviets continue to introduce new weapons and equipment and experiment with the structure and employment of their forces. 9 Top Secret These developments indicate that the Soviets are instituting new principles of operational art and tac- tics?that is, the General Staff is revising some aspects of Soviet doctrine, at least for joint operations. They are attempting to establish provisions for the employment of their forces that will (1) take advan- tage of technical advancements, (2) respond to the capabilities and perceived intentions of their prospec- tive enemies, and (3) allow them to operate more effectively on the battlefield of the future. Top Secret Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Top Secret Figure 7. Army Gen. Sergey M. Shtemenko Chief of the Soviet General Staff (1948-52) General Shtemenko was Chief of the Operations Directorate of the General Staff during World War 11. His books, The Soviet General Staff at War and The Last Six Months, describe how the Soviet high command functioned. As a proponent of "scientific" methods, he defined the role of the Geheral Staff in formulating military doctrine. Top Secret 10 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Top Secret Lessons learned in Afghanistan probably have also encouraged General Staff planners to make a ro ri- ate changes in the regulations. (Since the sociopolitical element of Soviet doctrine rejects the concept of antipartisan activity, the Soviets typically resolve this dilemma by declaring their partisan opponents to be bandits or mercenaries.) Presumably, revisions growing out of the Afghan experience would include provisions on the use of helicopters, the conduct of intelligence operations, and other activities essential to antiparti- san warfare. The Falklands conflict also appears to have impressed the Soviets with the necessity of controlling the air in modern naval combat and the threat posed to surface ships from antiship cruise missiles. These lessons, too, may have led to changes in doctrine and, as a recent report indicates, helped convince the Soviets that they should proceed with the construction of an aircraft carrier capable of supporting conventional takeoff and landing aircraft 11 25X1 25X 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Top Secret Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 R Next 2 Page(s) In Document Denied Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Figure 10. MSU Vasiliy D. Sokolovskiy Chief of the Soviet General Staff (1952-60) Marshal Sokolovskiy was best known for his book Military Strategy, which appeared in three editions during the 1960s. It discusses the changes in technology and forces over time and their impact on military art and doctrine. Soko- lovskiy was chief of staff to Marshal Georgiy Zhukov during the Battle of Moscow, 1941-42. Top Secret Figure 11. MSU Matvey V. Zakharov Chief of the Soviet General Stuff (1960-63, 1964-71) Marshal Zakharov was a staunch advocate of modernization throughout the Soviet armed forces. He believed that the "revolution in mili- tary affairs" had radically altered the nature of warfare and that military science and doctrine must keep pace with technological developments. Zakharov was chief of staff of an army, various fronts, and the High Command of the Northwest- ern Theater of Military Operations during World War II. 15 Top Secret Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Top Secret Military Regulations?A Code of Laws The Peoples Commissariat of Defense proceeds on the assumption that a manual is not an order effective only for a brief period. A manual of regulations is a code of laws governing the Red Army for years. Therefore, before a manual is issued it should be carefully checked, and com- rades from the front should be called in to assist. It was in this way that the Infantry Field Manual was issued. And the same procedure should have been used in submitting these man- uals for approval so as not to make mistakes and so that, later on, military personnel would not be groundlessly punished for violating defective regulations ... . Joseph Stalin quoted in The Last Six Months by Army General Shtemenko. The 1944 Ground-Attack Aviation Combat Op- erations Manual required that each pilot always maintain his position in the overall formation, and leaving formation was viewed as a criminal offense. [Emphasis added.] Marshal of Aviation Nikolay Skomorokhov Tactics in Combat Examples: The Aviation Regi- ment (Voyenizdat, 1985, JPRS-UMA-85-028-L, 18 December 1985). Top Secret The East Europeans Coordination with the East Europeans in military science work is managed through five-year and annu- al Warsaw Pact military science plans. Like the Soviet plans, these are?at least primarily?the re- sponsibility of Soviet General Staff officers, who prepare the Pact plans while serving on the staff of the Combined Armed Forces (CAF). East European exercises are conducted within the context of the Warsaw Pact five-year and annual military science plans, thus ensuring that they will focus on issues of interest to the Soviets. 16 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 2 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Top Secret Figure 12. Soviet T-34 tanks and infantry during World War II. Figure 13. Soviet helicopter and tank operations in Afghanistan. 17 25X1 25X1 Top Secret Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 5X1 25X1 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Top Secret ? The current or imminent introduction of new weap- ons and equipment into both Soviet strategic and theater forces requires that all the relevant regula- tions be updated to reflect new force capabilities. Among these new systems are the T-80 tank, the SS-21 and SS-23 SSMs, the MIG-29 Fulcrum and SU-27 Flanker tactical fighters, several new classes of general purpose submarines and ships, and the SS-X-24 and SS-25 intercontinental ballistic missiles.2? Top Secret 18 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Top Secret Figure 14. MSU Dmitriy F. Ustinov Minister of Defense (1976-84) As Minister of Defense, Marshal Ustinov cham- pioned modern management techniques for the Soviet armed forces. He was a strong advocate of adopting new technologies. Conclusions The Soviet system for reviewing doctrine and institut- ing necessary changes succeeds in organizing a pro- cess with disparate elements in a coherent way. The system responds to developments in technology, events, combat experience, and changing perceptions of the enemy. It also produces doctrine that is evolu- tionary in most respects. although the nature of war has changed, Soviet perceptions of its objectives have not. Many of the principles of operational art and tactics, even in the 1980s, bear a striking resem- blance to those of World War II. Still, modern nuclear and conventional weapons can destroy the enemy in a manner that has revolutionized warfare, and Soviet doctrine has changed to take the destruc- tive power of these weapons into account. 19 New US and NATO technologies and capabilities clearly influence Soviet doctrine more than any changes in Western doctrine, which are afforded much less emphasis in Soviet writings This may be explained, at least in part, by the Soviet view of our doctrine as lacking a "scienti- fic" basis. The Soviets recognize no Western military science equivalent to their own and contend that the sociopolitical elements of Western doctrine, as a reflection of capitalism, are not scientific in the Marxist-Leninist sense of the term. m i lications 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Soviet views on the importance of doctrine and regu- lations, in contrast to those of the US military, indicate that Soviet commanders would be less in- clined to improvise in battle than their US counter- parts. This does not mean that the Soviets would be unable to adjust or that they would not act because it was not in the regulations. Rather, Soviet actions probably would be more predictable because of the rigid fashion in which regulations are to be interpret- ed. The historical record strongly suggests that this Top Secret Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Top Secret Figure 15. MSU Nikolay V. Ogarkov Chief of the Soviet General Staff (1977-84) Marshal Ogarkov is known for his expertise in science and technology and his views advocating their incorporation in military doctrine. He is author of Always in Readiness To Defend the Homeland, the recently published History Teach- es Vigilance, and numerous articles discussing the development of military thought and the Soviet armed forces. Ogarkov is now Commander in Chief of Forces of the Western Theater of Military Operations. would be the case. Top Secret _ 20 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Outlook For years, the Soviets clearly believed that a war between the Pact and NATO would almost certainly include the large-scale use of nuclear weapons by both sides, even if only conventional weapons or limited nuclear strikes occurred at the outset. The Soviets sought to develop the forces and the concepts for their employment that, under conditions of nuclear war- fare, would afford them the best possible chance of achieving their combat objectives. Several factors suggest that a major shift in doctrine is in progress, one that may be more fundamental than the revision of some of the principles for joint and combined operations. The development of new battlefield technologies?especially precision-guided munitions?and the introduction of operational ma- neuver groups, reconnaissance strike complexes, and integrated fire tactics indicate a substantial Soviet interest in kee in combat in Europe at the conven- tional level. Top Secret 25X1 These themes have become more prominent in mili- 25X1 tary writings as Soviet theater nuclear 25X1 capabilities have grown. The Soviets may see their improved capabilities as providing a more effective deterrent against NATO's use of nuclear weapons. The Soviets, nonetheless, are continuing to improve the capability of their forces to conduct operations at all levels of intensity, whether conventional or nuclear. 21 Top Secret Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 _ Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 R Next 2 Page(s) In Document Denied Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 R Next 3 Page(s) In Document Denied Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 25X1 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4 Top Secret Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/10: CIA-RDP87T00787R000200150005-4