ABSTRACT
The strength of the Soviet Navy in Northern Waters is frequently exaggerated by the simple assessments that are common in the public discussion of the naval balance. A more detailed analysis reveals that the Soviet Northern Fleet has serious limitations and problems, in particular the possession of large numbers of either small, aged, or technologically unsophisticated vessels. NATO’s forces disposed in and around the Greenland-Iceland-UK (GIUK) Gap could not prevent Soviet submarines and long-range aircraft penetrating south into the Atlantic through the GIUK Gap. Variations in the Soviet wartime deployments largely centre around the degree to which the attack submarine force would be deployed south of the GIUK Gap to interdict the American reinforcements passing along the North Atlantic sea lines of communication (SLOC). The exact nature of the naval force balance during wartime in Northern Waters depends largely upon the prevailing circumstances at the start of a conflict.
