U.S.-Soviet defence costs compared

Press, 12 January 1977, Page 6

U.S.-Soviet defence costs compared

NZPA Washington! A Central Intelligence! Agency report just made pub-1 lie says that the Soviet Un- ■ ion’s defence costs increased! to an estimated $120,000M last year, compared with the| United States expenditure of| about $90,000M. “Soviet defence costs continued to outpace those of the United States in every category except tactical jetfighter aircraft,” the report says. “The Soviet Union’s weapons costs were about $40,000M — double America’s $20,D00M.” The report says that Russia’s weapons costs were! driven up primarily by ad-vanced-weapons programmes, particularly for new aircraft and succeeding generations of missiles. “Soviet inter-continental nuclear attack forces last! year cost about SBOOOM com-' pared with America’s $4000M,l

(and Soviet military manpower I was . also double that of! I America,” the report goes on. i “Soviet costs for general: ipurpose non-nuclear forces! !|were about one-third higher I than the United States.” d The C.I.A. report has been! jmade public by the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee chairman, Mr Melvin Price, and the committee’s senior Republican, Mr Robert Wilson. The report notes that even beyond the basic differences in the Soviet and United States economic systems, such comparisons are difficult. “If the Soviet decision-; itnakers were confronted with! the United States dollar-price structure that is used for our dollar-.cost analysis, rather than the ruble prices they in fact have to pay, they undoubtedly would choose a! 'different and cheaper mix of; : manpower and equipment,” it; I says. I

r| “But the basic conclusion f!is still clear: that the Soviet .! Union’s military activities 1 over all are growing, and are J now significantly larger than -Ithose of the United States." ' Flights cancelled British Airways, crippled • by’ a strike of its baggage ' loaders, had to cancel all 20 outbound flights by its overseas division on Monday, 1 and 14 inbound flights at Heathrow Airport. The airline 1 said some 5000 passengers had been affected.—London. Historian released The Warsaw police have released the historian Wojciech Onyszkiewicz, who was arrested on Friday and questioned about his cooperation with the Workers | Defence Committee set up to ;help those jailed after food- ! price riots last June. I —Warsaw.