ABSTRACT
The performance of Soviet naval antiair defenses in World War II was miserable. Throughout the war, 47 percent of Soviet ship losses in the Black Sea Fleet, 26 percent of those in the Baltic Fleet, and 48 percent of the Northern Fleet losses were due to enemy aircraft. The most important reasons for the failure of the Soviet naval antiair defense were the lack of sea-based aviation and the inability of shipboard antiaircraft guns to defend against aerial attacks when air cover was absent. Any analysis of the effectiveness of Soviet naval air defense examine its ability to protect Soviet ships from any aerial threat targeted against them. The near-zone Soviet antiair guns also have substantial weaknesses in regard to low-flying, high-speed targets because of relatively unsophisticated Soviet electronic and fire control systems. To reiterate, the Soviets hope to reduce the aircraft and missile threats to their forces by attacking enemy surface combatants and aircraft before their weapons are launched.
