U.S. Leads Russia In Number Of Missiles

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30035, 21 January 1963, Page 11

U.S. Leads Russia In Number Of Missiles

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) WASHINGTON, January 20. The United States has at least 400 missiles deployed with nuclear warheads which can be launched on Russian targets, United Press International reported today. The analysis was given after a statement in East Berlin yesterday by Mr Khrushchev that the Soviet Union had “set up 80, probably even 120 rockets elsewhere” after the recent Soviet withdrawal from Cuba.

Quoting United States intelligence officials, United Press International said that eventually the missile force will comprise about 1800 Atlas, Titan, Minuteman, and Polaris rockets.

more than 1000 bombers, including more than 500 eightengine Bs2’s and 100 supersonic BsB’s. The planes can carry enormous destructive loads. The 852 is said to be capable of dropping two 24-megaton bombs on Russia while still carrying enough fuel to get back to the United States. The Russians once were believed to be building a big bomber fleet, but United States intelligence estimates now are that there is no similar jet bomber force in the Soviet Union.

men, but was deterred by the "powerful club” of Soviet military might Mr Khrushchev said the only difference to “imperialists” for the location of a missile bare was whether it would take two seconds longer to destroy a city. “That is the reality of things" Mr Khrushchev said “We trust in neither God nor the devil. We put our trust only in our power, in toe power of our potentialities."

According to United States intelligence officials, their estimates of Soviet missile strength were somewhat lower but "fairly dose" to the numbers given by Mr Khrushchev.

Of the 400 United States missiles already deployed, 175 are intercontinental ballistic missiles—Atlas, Titan and Minuteman—capable of a 5000-mile range.

He said that when toe United States had been set to invade Cuba, it had “bared its teeth like wolves, but still did not bite. Has American imperialism lost its appetite?" he asked. “No, but we are a powerful dub." "Division at Our Time” He suggested that East Germany had reached the civil war stage experienced by Russia when it withdrew from World War I after the Bolshevik revolution. He called the division o' families “the division of om time. “I think the time is not tar ofl when German unity wiU come,” Mr Khrushchev said. “It win be no capitalist Germany, but a united socialist Germany." But he made ft dear that eivil war was not the answer. “The only way is for toe workers of toe German Democratic Republic to achieve higher productivity—higher than the workers who work in West Germany,” be said. j

President Kennedy’s latest Budget provided for ordering an additional 100 Minuteman missiles, which will bolster the Air Force’s total goal to 900. The Navy will get money to complete the last six of its 41 Polaris submarines, scheduled to be in service in 1966. It wiU have 24 of them in service IS months from now, with 384 missiles aboard. Khnahttoevto Speech in his most anti-Western speech since his arrival in East Germany, Mr Khrushchev said: “The American imperialists know that we withdrew 40 rockets from Cube, but we have set up 80, probably even 130 rockets, in other places. “Cuba is not the mpst convenient place to bare rockets. We have better places toan Cube.” Mr Khrushchev said toe United States had been potoed to invade Cube with SOQjSOO

Another 160 missiles are aboard 10 Polaris submarines which have been commissioned by the Navy—probably nine-tenths of which are ready to fire at any given time. There are also 60 Thor missiles mounted in Britain, 30 Jupiters in Italy, and 15 Jupiters in Turkey. The Thor and the Jupiter, which uses toe same rocket engine, can travel more than 1700 miles. Bigger Missiles Russia, however, has bigger missites which are capable of carrying more destructive nuclear warheads. Probably the most powerful of toe United States intercontinental warheads fc equal to five megatons—five million tons of TJN.T.—against the Russian claim of a 100-mega-ton bento. The American missflea are backed bjt ■ powerful fleet of