Russia’s military spending ‘’rising’

Press, 24 August 1977, Page 8

Russia’s military spending ‘’rising’

NZPA Washington During the last year the Soviet Union has continued to improve its military forces, but at increasing expense, the United States Defence Intelligence Agency estimates, the Associated Press reported. The improvements cover the entire spectrum of weapons systems — from nuclear strategic forces to conventional general purpose forces, Lieutenant-General Samuel Wilson, the D.I.A. director said in congressional testimony made public yesterday. General Wilson said, however, that the United States continues to maintain a substantial technological lead over the Russians, and other officials indicated that the readiness of Soviet forces tends to be inferior to that of American forces.

The testimony was given on June 30, at a closed hearing of the sub-committee on priorities and economy in Government of the Congressional Joint Economic Committee.

In releasing excerpts Senator William Proxmire, the chairman of the sub-com-mittee, said: “It is clear from the evidence that the Russians are spending more and enjoying it less.” General Wilson estimated that the Soviet Union spent the equivalent of $llB billion on its defence programme in 1976, compared with $B4 billion for United States defence expenditure. The Soviet procurement of weapons has grown annually in the last decade and in 1976 reached 141 per cent of the 1966 level, General Wilson said. He estimated that the Russians now exceed the United States weapons procurement effort by 114 per cent.