ABSTRACT
The principal combat elements of the Soviet Navy are submarines and land-based aircraft. Surface ships are definitely in a subsidiary role with respect to carrying out the principal missions of the navy. The US Navy appears to have qualitative leadership over the Soviet Navy in several key surface combatant areas. The current Soviet surface combatant effort represents the fourth phase of Soviet post-World War II surface fleet development. These have been very distinct phases. The Stalin program appears to have been intended for defense of the Soviet coasts from Allied amphibious assault, and probably for operations in the Mediterranean and possibly Pacific Ocean, since Stalin expected to gain ports that would have provided access to those waters. The Kyndas, supplemented by land-based strike aircraft and submarines, were intended to attack US aircraft carriers approaching the Soviet homeland. A new mission appears to be developing for Soviet naval forces—power projection, to use the Western term.
