ABSTRACT
Staging naval aircraft in foreign countries demonstrates a keen perception of the capabilities of naval air power and the Soviet reliance on this power. In the event of a war, the Soviet Union intends to conduct immediate combat strikes against enemy territory. The Soviets have been granted landing rights for their naval aircraft in several Third World countries and justify the use of these bases by pointing to the "threat of imperialist hegemony." As an element of the Soviet ocean surveillance system, Soviet naval aircraft are used to gather photographic and electronic intelligence. In terms of intelligence collection, the North Atlantic and the east coast of the United States are the most crucial areas for the Soviet Union since they are North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) primary naval theater and are vital for resupplying NATO forces in Europe in wartime. The importance of Soviet Naval Aviation in the Baltic was dramatically demonstrated during Zapad-81.
