ABSTRACT
This chapter examines each of the Soviet services in some detail. It examines the operational structure and supporting services of the Soviet Armed Forces. The structure of the Soviet Armed Forces has slowly evolved since the end of World War II. In 1945 the Soviet Union possessed only the three conventional services—Ground Forces, Air Forces, and Navy. Soviet airborne forces are in a special category, not rating as a major service but apparently assigned directly under the Ministry of Defense. The United States competed with the Soviet Union in obtaining both German rockets and rocket scientists. The Strategic Rocket Forces have been assisted in the development of their boosters by the attention given by the Party leadership to the Soviet space program. All Soviet land-based missiles with ranges exceeding one thousand kilometers are assigned to the Strategic Rocket Forces.
