ABSTRACT
The combatant ships of the Soviet fleet deployed in the Indian Ocean have consistently improved in quality and striking power. Soviet fleet units have visited most areas of the Pacific Ocean beginning in 1963 and 1964. The Soviet Union's overseas allies and friends, such as Angola, Cuba, Vietnam, and Ethiopia, need what Soviet merchant ships and transport ships can bring them, including the protection provided by a Soviet high seas fleet. The Soviet decision to predicate forward deployment on the availability and use of overseas bases and facilities provides some indication of the economic constraints within which the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics naval policy is forced to operate. The alternative to reliance on foreign bases would be construction of large numbers of warships and provision of specialized support capabilities afloat. The major threat the Soviet Navy poses for its potential enemies comes from its submarine forces carrying nuclear missiles.
