ROLE OF EGYPT'S RUSSIAN ADVISERS IS WORRYING U.S.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70B00338R000300060003-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: January 4, 2017
• Document Release Date: July 15, 2005
• Sequence Number: 3
• Content Type: NSPR

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20.05/07125 CIA-RDP70B00338R000300060003-6
Role of Egypt's RussianAdvisers Is Worrying U. S.
By WILLIAM BEECHER
Speolal to The New York Times
WASHINGTON, Oct. 2-1-
Some senior American officials
are becoming increasingly con-
cerned about the growing in-
volvement of Soviet military ad-
visors in the armed forces of the
United Arab Republic.
There is a danger, the
American. officials say that the
2,000 to 3,000 Soviet military
advisers who are assigned for
the first time at small-unit lev-
els in the Egyptian Army, Navy
and Air Force could be drawn
into sudden combat with the
Israelis.
During the last 16 months,
American analysts say, the
Soviet Union has poured about
$2.5-billion worth of modern
arms into the Middle East..
These have nearly replaced all'
the jets, tanks, artillery and
other weapons lost by Egypt
during the 1967 war and have
more than replaced the losses
of Syria and Iraq. Equivalent
weapons would cost the United
States about $4-billion, the
analysts say.
In addition to the equipment
sonic jet fighters she lost last
year. Since December, the
United States has shipped about
30 of an order of more than
80 A-4E Skyhawk jets, but
these are subsonic bombers,
ill-suited for air defense.
Early Strike Possible
One American official said:
"Israel has only about 65
Mirage-IIIC fighters to try to
defend against well over 200
sophisticated MIG-21's in the
air forces of Egypt, Syria and
Iraq."
The MIG-21's could be used
to try to achieve air superiority
oven Israel, thus enabling Arab
bombers to fly unhindered.
the Russians have sent in 2,000
to 3,000 military advisers, up
from 500 to 700 before the six,
day, June, 1967, war.
Fulltime Assignments
Before the war, Soviet ad-
visers based in Cairo would.
occasionally make quick trips
to the field to see how the
training was going. Now they
are assigned fulltime down to
battalion level in the army and
fly with each air. force squad-
ron.
. They oversee all aspects of
training, offcials here say.
From time to time, high-level
military groups are reported
to come in from the Soviet Un-'
ion to visit the Egyptian
troops.
In an effort to hold down
incidents, the Russian advisors
do not dive with the Egyptians
but go to separate hotels and
apartment houses under orders
not to fraternize,
The U.A.R. Air Force, under
its Russian advisors, hag been)
dispersed to several new,; ips,,
large and small. Some planes
Realizing the temptation to! In addition, all the experts
the Arabs of a pre-emptive air
strike-which the Israelis used
to destroy the U.A.R. air force
in 1967-Israel has been trying
to unfreeze delivery of 50
French Mirage-V fighters and
to purchase 50 United States
Phantoms.
Although the Mirage fighters
have been paid for, France has
refused to deliver them, as part
of an arms embargo.
In contrast to the weakness
in air defense, Israeli forces now
sit in commanding defensive po
sitions, in-the Sinai Desert, in
the Golan heights of Syria and
on the West Bank of the
Jordan River. .
agree that a mere comparison
of weapons inventory does not
accurately pbrtray relative mij-
itary strength. The motivation,
leadership and technological
skill of Israel's soldiers are
considered far superior to those
of all her Arab neighbors.
This belief, of course, can be
overstated. Analysts note that
the Egyptian Air Force never
really got a chance to fight in
1967 because most of its
planes were demolished on the
ground. And the army, with-
out air cover, was effectively
blasted from the air and the
ground.
in fact now operate ft xcussiaai- technicians often
straight stretches of hi way man early-warning radar and
Egypt also now keeps riet' 20 surface-to-air missile sites and
TU-16 medium-range bombers Russian .pilots fly some air de-
in Iraq, Algeria and the Sudan fense patrols, according to in-
to preclude their being de- telligence reports.
stroyed in a surprise attack.. -zJxategic position is
Approve
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