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The Future of the U.S.-Soviet Nuclear Relationship (1991) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix B: Target Allocation Issues
Pages 55-58

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From page 55...
... How should one decide the relative value of a fighter airbase, a tank regiment, a naval base, a nuclear storage site, a "ball bearing" factory, or an oil refinery? However, it can be argued that practical value schemes can be developed for the usual categories of targets, and since much of the total value in many categories resides in the most valuable 50 or 100 targets, the total weapons requirements to do "unacceptable" damage to the full target system can be provided even by retaliation from a damaged force.
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From page 56...
... Examining the process of targeting Soviet ground forces provides a more complete example of this process. According to the most recent editions of Soviet Military Power 1990 and The Military Balance 1990-1991,4 the Soviet Union has about 195 ground force divisions, mostly tank and motorized rifle with a few airborne.
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From page 57...
... 1983 294,000 MW 74% thermal 19% hydroelectric 7% nuclear 1, 1 ' 1 1 o 200 400 600 800 Electric Generating Stations FIGURE B-l Soviet electric generating, capacity. Soviet Industry of o 40 CL 80 70 _ 60 _ 50 _ 30 _ 20 FIGURE B-2 Soviet industry.
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From page 58...
... This example is only presented to suggest roughly the magnitude of the task of targeting this element of Soviet power. Similar arguments can be made to estimate the forces needed to attack substantial fractions—on the order of 50 percent of the value of other militarily significant target categories, including airfields, logistic and transportation nodes, and command and control centers.
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Key Terms

  • soviet ground
  • ground force
  • percent strength
  • total value
  • generating capacity

  • mobilization divisions
  • ground forces
  • oil refinery
  • cia data
  • value schemes

  • soviet divisions
  • fewer weapons
  • cumulative destruction
  • motorized rifle
  • including airfields

  • distributed throughout
  • using cia
  • targeting soviet
  • electrical generating
  • force targets

  • force units
  • qualitative example
  • fighter airbase
  • control centers
  • intelligence agency

  • forces provides
  • balance reports
  • cia reported
  • ussr energy
  • significant target


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