Major POINTS CONCERNING SOVIET OCEAN POLICY 
(By the National Ocean Policy Study Staff) 
OBJECTIVES OF SOVIET OCEAN POLICY 
Soviet imports are minimal and as an insular nation the U.S.S.R. 
is not dependent on the sea for transportation of strategic materials 
and oil; however, it has chosen to challenge the United States and 
western industrialized nations in maritime commerce because of our 
vulnerability through dependence on imports of oil and other critical 
materials. 
Soviet Union uses its naval presence as a means of wooing Third 
World nations into the Soviet Communist sphere, e.g., Angola, 
Somalia, et cetera. 
The U.S.S.R. is aware of the economic importance of the oceans 
and although she does not need the resources of the sea—except 
fish as an animal protein—the Soviet Union wants to share in the 
control of ocean resources as a means of countering the economic 
strength of the West. 
CHARACTERISTICS OF SOVIET OCEAN POLICY 
Ocean policy is determined and administered in a coordinated 
manner from the highest level of the Communist Party—the Politburo. 
Soviets consider all components of the marine fleet—merchant 
marine, fishing, oceanographic and military—as integral and interact- 
ing parts of overall seapower (one hand washes the other). 
SOVIET NAVAL POWER 
Post World War II the U.S. Naval Fleet was the most powerful 
armada ever assembled: In contrast, the Soviet Union had neither 
a significant military nor merchant fleet. Since that time the U.S.S.R. 
has continued to close the gap and has exceeded us in merchant 
tonnage while seriously challenging the U.S. Navy for supremacy of 
the seas. 
Soviet Union has assembled a multipurpose fleet—oceanographic 
vessels and fishing vessels can conduct intelligence and surveillance 
missions and the merchant fleet can operate as an auxilliary naval 
force in time of war. 
SOVIET MERCHANT MARINE 
U.S.S.R. subsidizes its merchant marine so that it can offer cut 
rates to Third World countries in order to reduce the developing 
countries dependence on the western industrialized nations for 
maritime transportation. 
The United States has declined from first place in merchant marine 
tonnage in 1945 to ninth place in 1975: In contrast, the Soviet 
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