5 
It is important for the Congress to have access to accurate data 
on the Soviet Navy—its current size and composition, its construction 
programs, and, above all, its sea-denial capabilities. Such data are 
frequently presented in a confusing and simplistic fashion, which does 
not facilitate debate. Senator Leahy quoted an Associated Press 
release on Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld’s appearance before a con- 
gressional committee, as follows: ‘“‘Procurement of Soviet naval ships 
over the 1965-75 period exceeded the United States by 70 percent 
and by 90 percent in 1975.”% Elsewhere, Secretary Rumsfeld was 
quoted as saying that: ‘““The Soviets have produced about 800 ships 
since 1965, during a period when the United States produced about 
300 ships for its Navy.” !° Table III shows that the most recent Depart- 
ment of Defense data indicate Soviet procurement of 829 ships and 
U.S. construction of 243 vessels between 1965 and 1975. However, 
of the 829 Soviet ships, at least 541 were small craft, used for opera- 
tion in coastal waters. Only 49 out of the 243 U.S. ships constructed 
during the past decade belong to that category. In fact, in terms 
of total tonnage, the United States slightly outbuilt the Soviet Union 
during that period. 
TABLE 3.—U.S./U.S.S.R. ship construction 1965-75 
United States U.S.S.R. 
Range (tons) Classes Number Tonnage Classes Number Tonnage 
Over 40,000 _________- CV America, CV Ken SiO 200 3. SF Eee. (aes ee eee Pee ee 
nedy, CVN Nimitz. 
ZOWOO0=40 000 Me anata = SM ee ae ee eee een ee GVSGi Kiev" tae 1 39,000 
10,000-20,000 ___. __.. CGN California, LCC 30 489,500 CHG Moskva_______--- 2 35,400 
Blueridge, LKA 
Charleston, LPD 
Austin, LPH Iwo 
Jima, LSD Anchorage. 
5,000-10,000__________ CG Belknap, CGN _ 30 247,800 CG Kara, CG Kresta, 17. 134,600 
Truxton, DD CG Kynda. 
Spruance, LST 
Newport. ae 
3,000-S,000 __________ FF Garcia, FF Knox, 74 248,200 DDG Kashin, DD 40 171,500 
FFG Brooke, WHEC ‘Krivak, LST 
Hamilton, AGFF Alligator. 
; Glover. 
1W000=3O00) oa ae. c= = BS. ere eae ee eth ae hts 2 6 ees! FFL Mirka, FFL Petya, 72 83,600 
PCE Grisha, LSM 1(7) (8,000) 
Ropucha, LSM 2(11) (18,900) 
Polnocny). 
500=150002 2 L ee- WMEC Reliance _____- 13 12,600 PGG Nanuchka, MSF 77 58,500 
Natya, LCU Vydra 1(20) (15,000) 
(LSM Polnocny). 2(54) (41,850) 
100-500 _____________- PG Asheville, PTF, 36 6,070 LCU MP-10, LCU 410 110,100 
AGEH Plainview. SMB-1, PCL 50-1, 1(104) (23,618) 
PCE POTI PCH 
Turya, PT Shershen, 
PT MOL, PTC 
Stenka, PTG OSA, 
PTG Komar, PGM 
Shlepen, MSF Yurka, 
MSC Zhenya, MSC 
Vanya, MSC Sonya. 
Submarines: 
Ballistic missile (nuclear) ______ __ _________- 12 877600 see ey. Ra eee® -- Steg rs 51 390,000 
Attack: 
INGOT = ine gee ee een aes A he OA 2OO! ee ee See ae ech pea 49 213,050 
Diesel eee IES Ain FOB ps OE Soh Raat! Pe SRT AE Se PCO 45 99,000 
1 Ships constructed in U.S.S.R. for delivery to other countries. 
2 Ships added to Soviet OOB but constructed in Poland. 
Source: Department of Defense. 
® Congressional Record, Apr. 13, 1976. 
10 Defense Space Business Daily, Mar. 11, 1976. 
