547 
1975. There will be an increase to $188 million in FY 1976 and 
an estimated $214 million in FY 1977. In view of the high rate 
of inflation in recent years, the actual decline is much higher. Some 
have argued that National Science Foundation funding has made up 
for the declining Naval budget for oceanography, but even a casual 
look at the NSF budget for oceanography shows that actual NSF 
funding in real dollars declined somewhat in recent years. 
Intelligence reports indicate that the Soviet Union continues to ex- 
pand its oceanographic research fleet while the U.S. Navy received 
funding for only two small research ships between FY 1968 and 
1975. (The Soviet Union had constructed 39 oceanographic ships 
between 1960-67, 69 between 1968-74, and added four more in 
1975.) 
Working together or independently, the American Government, in- 
dustry and academic institutions have come forward with some real 
technological achievements in oceanographic instrumentation during 
the past decade and a half. The Soviet Union was known for years 
to be behind the United States in instrumentation technology, a vital 
part of oceanography that enables scientists to collect and interpret 
data. A group of U.S. ocean scientists visiting the U.S.S.R. in 1972 
noticed considerable progress in the Soviet Union and note in their 
report to the government, “The work of the Institute of Oceanology 
is well known to most of the oceanographic research scientists in 
the United States. However, those on the delegation who had visited 
the institution in previous years, were greatly impressed by the strides 
made in the instrumentation and data processing capabilities since 
their last respective visit. Soviet scientists have long been known for 
their excellence in theory. These new tools provide opportunities for 
great strides in Soviet oceanography and major contributions to the 
world in marine sciences.” Visits by American ocean scientists to 
Soviet laboratories and research ships confirm the quoted report as 
well as Soviet articles on advanced instrumentation used in oceano- 
graphic investigations. 
Unpublished information confirms personal observations by U.S. 
scientists that in some aspects of oceanographic research the Soviets 
are behind. For example, Russian oceanographers do not have at 
their disposal sophisticated satellite navigation systems, advanced ship 
borne computers and instrumentation such as vector averaging current 
meters. Hence, the Soviet Union is eager to cooperate in international 
programs and has made numerous attempts to purchase western 
technology. New systems are on the drawing board in the United 
States, but R. & D. programs have slowed down considerably due 
to budget restriction. The budget for basic science conducted by the 
Navy itself declined from $30 million in 1968 (1968 dollars) to $28 
million for 1975 (current dollars). As a result of these budget cuts 
the Navy had to cut personnel in the basic research laboratory from 
approximately 540 in 1968 to 260 today. 
Summarizing Soviet current capabilities in oceanic research, it is 
fair to say that they are well ahead in the number of research ships, 
they have capable personnel to man those ships and their onshore 
facilities, and after a period of copying western instrumentation, the 
basic ‘‘oceanographic instrument suit” on their ships is approaching 
parity with the United States. If naval and civilian funding for U:S. 
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