548 
oceanography does not improve, the Soviets are likely to achieve 
parity in instrumentation soon. 
The one area in which the Soviets clearly surpass the U.S. effort 
is polar research. In support of their Northern Sea route, the Soviets 
maintained four drift stations with scientific parties of 15-25 personnel 
from 1968-72 (now only one left). This program is also supported 
by a number of polar research ships including one of new construction. 
In contrast the U.S. Navy occasionally supports one Arctic Ocean 
drift station and has fewer ships committed to polar research. The 
importance of Arctic research becomes obvious if one realizes that 
the Arctic is not only a highly strategic miiitary area, but it is the 
one area in the world where we literally stand fact-to-face with the 
Soviet Union. In the Antarctic, Soviet multiship oceanographic opera- 
tions are conducted during each austral summer. 
NAVAL vs. NONNAVAL ACTIVITIES 
In contrast to the United States where about 50 percent of all 
oceanographic research is conducted by academic and private research 
institutions, all Soviet research is controlled and conducted by govern- 
ment institutions. 
In oceanography, the Soviet Naval Hydrographic Service shares 
responsibilities with over fifty service-oriented institutions (academic 
and government labs). The major nonnaval organizations involved in 
oceanography (and operating research vessels ) include: 
Hydrometeorological Service, Institute of Oceanology, Marine 
Hydrophysics Institute, Acoustics Institute, All-Union Scientific 
Research Institute of Marine Geology and Geophysics, All-Union 
Scientific Research Institute of Marine Fishery and Oceanography. 
The most important of these are the Hydrometeorological Service 
and the Institute of Oceanology. The Hydrometeorological Service 
is roughly the Soviet equivalent to the National Oceanic and At- 
mospheric Administration. Founded in 1936, it has broad responsibili- 
ties for supervising collection of hydrologic and hydrometeorologic 
data. Its subordinate Arctic and Antarctic Scientific Research Institute 
is the major organization in polar research. The Service operates 
some thirty ocean-going research vessels and runs World Data Center 
B (NOAA runs World Data Center A). 
The Institute of Oceanology carries out research in the broad spec- 
trum of oceanography with emphasis on ocean dynamics, geology, 
geophysics and _ prototype oceanographic instrumentation. The 
headquarters of the institute is located in Moscow with branches at 
Leningrad, Kaliningrad, and Gelendzhik. It is at the Institute of 
Oceanology’s Gelendzhik branch that an extensive manned and un- 
manned submersible program is based. 
The Soviet Naval Hydrographic Service has broad responsibilities 
for oceanographic and hydrographic surveying and services. Few 
details are available concerning their operations and activities. Their 
concern is with military oceanography, and their research findings 
are not published. The nonnaval research institutions are only the 
top of the Soviet oceanographic iceberg. While they are controlled 
by the central government, they do participate in international activi- 
ties and publish a vast quantity of scientific material that is readily 
available. 
