Red Navy At Sea: Soviet Naval Operations On The High Seas, 1956-1980

By: Bruce W. Watson

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Synopsis: This is the only book to offer a detailed chronology of modern Soviet naval operations set within the framework of long-range Soviet foreign and domestic policy. This context is important because it puts the navy in its proper place as a significant cog in the gigantic machinery of Soviet "grand strategy." Commander Watson argues that the Soviet Navy's physical configuration, strategy, and operations reflect a long-term "upgrading" pattern, designed to create an equal-partner status in the total balance of Soviet military forces. Changes in the navy's activities are not merely pragmatic reactions to momentary crises or shifts in world power trends. TTie navy has played an integral part in implementing the four strategic long-range goals of Soviet policy: defense of the Soviet Union, enhancement of its international position, establishment and maintenance of Soviet military superiority internationally, and the promotion of other Communist revolutions. Commander Watson discusses in detail Soviet naval operations in ail of the world's oceans. He provides new insight into the dimensions of Soviet naval presence and port visit activity, using vast amounts of statistical material gathered from his original research. The text is supplemented by maps, photographs, and extensive tabular documentation.