3. Nuclear weapons - NRDC Document Bank - Natural Resources ...

Oscar Class submarine was introduced, and this class remains in series
production at the rate of roughly one per year.85 Modification of the Echo II
Class to carry the SS-N-12 in place of the SS-N-3 is also continuing,86 and a
former Yankee Class SSBN has been rebuilt as the trials vessel for the
SS-NX-24 long-range, land-attack cruise missile, with launch tubes for 12 of
these missiles. A new nuclear-powered submarine with up to 24 SS-NX-24
missiles is expected to enter service by the end of the decade.8 ? In addition,
SS-NX-21 cruise missiles are being fitted to at least one and probably several
classes of nuclear attack submarine. The candidates for this missile include at
least one former Yankee Class SSBN converted to an SSN (others are laid up or
in the process of conversion) and the lead ships of three new SSN designs, the
Mike, Akula and Sierra Classes.88The Yankee and Sierra were completed in
1984, and the Mike and Akula in 1985. None of these ships has yet begun
full-scale operations or entered series production, and it is not yet clear
whether all of the new designs will enter series production. The 'attack'
submarine that the USSR selects will most likely replace Delta and Yankee
Class SSBNs on patrol off the US coasts. 89The only Soviet SSN launched in 1985
was another Victor III Class, the 21st (and possibly last) of this class.90
The major Soviet surface ship development in 1985 was the launching of the
large-deck aircraft-carrier in December in the Black Sea.91 The carrier is
believed to use both nuclear and steam propulsion and to be fitted with a ramp
on its bow (similar to a ski jump) and an angled flight deck. It is now estimated
that the ship is about 300 m long with a 65 000 ton displacement. Sea trials
could begin as early as 1988 with a limited initial operational capability (laC)
in about 1990. Given the limited Soviet experience with sea-based aviation, the
carrier is not expected to be fully operational until about 1995.92A second
carrier is now under construction at the Nikolayev Shipyard.93 Other surface
ship developments during 1985 include the deployment of additional
Sovremennyy and Udaloy Class destroyers, the completion of the overhaul on
the first Kiev Class carrier, the continued construction of additional Kirov and
Slava Class cruisers, and the autumn transfer ofthe second Kirov Class cruiser
to the Pacific Fleet in the company of a Sovremennyy and a Udaloy destroyer,
the first Pacific Fleet deployments for each of these classes.94 Finally, an
additional squadron of Backfire bombers was deployed with Soviet Naval
Aviation, and improvements have been made to the deployment base and
staging facility at Cam Ranh Bay, Viet Nam, with the addition of a sixth
floating dock to the base and permanent fuel storage tanks for aircraft.95
Air Force
Nine squadrons of Tornado dual-capable strike aircraft are now in service, of
which six squadrons are forward deployed in FR Germany, with a seventh
squadron to join in 1986. November 1985 marked the demise of the Jaguar
aircraft in the nuclear strike/attack role in FR Germany, with all those
squadrons now operating the Tornado.96