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Document No. 107: Warsaw Pact Information concerning Improvements in NATO Military Technology, November 11, 1985 ——————————————————————————————————————————— This East German document, prepared for a session of that country’s National Defense Council, provides information on the latest improvements in NATO’s military technology . It argues that NATO is aiming to achieve superiority in that area, and then, interestingly,specifiestheequipmentandnewconventionalweaponssystemstheWarsaw Pact considers critical. At the time, the Western alliance was stepping up the introduction of so-called “smart” munitions and technically superior tracking systems, such as AWACS reconnaissance aircraft. ____________________ Achieving technical superiority is regarded by the U.S. and NATO as the best way to alter the present strategic balance of forces, in order to attain military superiority over the USSR and other states of the Warsaw Treaty. […] The new combat technology that is being introduced in all parts of the armed forces will be followed in the coming years by new types of ammunition and modern command, targeting, reconnaissance and interference technology. These improvements will qualitatively increase the effectiveness of the new combat technology in action. The introduction of modern command technology and the improvement of automated command and information systems will increase the resilience and flexibility of commanding troops, even in complicated situations, and shorten the command processes to a half or a quarter of the time presently needed. The connections of the command process will at the same time be linked to automated data analysis and presentation systems, and to locating systems capable in some cases of identifying targets down to the lowest level. The new reconnaissance and locating systems are designed to work reliably under all weather conditions and permit reconnaissance deep within the territory of the Warsaw Treaty states without having to actually penetrate it. For instance, they make it possible to carry out multiple surveillance of the lines of communication and airspace of the GDR. In connection with automated recording and targeting methods, they make it possible to locate, follow and identify hundreds of targets, including moveable land targets in the future, and to guide far-reaching weapons systems. In the USA and the UK work is now underway to combine combat technology with command, targeting and reconnaissance systems to form new reconnaissancestrike weapons with enormous destructive power. These combined systems are due to be completed within the 1980s. The first completed system is to be put at the disposal of the NATO air force in central Europe in 1986, to fight the radar and auto511 matic command systems of the air defense of the Unified Armed Forces of the Warsaw Treaty. A further reconnaissance-strike system will be delivered to the U.S. Armed Forces in the FRG, probably at the end of the 1980s, to fight tank formations deep within enemy territory. Used together with the new types of ammunition, these systems will allow NATO forces to conduct effective surprise attacks and to direct their fire at a great number of very distant point and area targets, practically without a time delay. The new types of ammunition make it possible to attack command locations, tanks, armored vehicles, aircraft under cover, airport take-off and landing strips, radar stations , ships, bridges and other point targets easily and with high precision. […] All reconnaissance and other evidence indicates that the NATO armed forces are striving for superiority over the armed forces of the states of the Warsaw Treaty not only in the areas of outer space and nuclear armaments but also in the technology of conventional warfare. In compliance with U.S. strategy, the intention is to rely on superior technology to ensure superiority in the waging of a conventional war. The potential consequences of this development in the case of war are very dangerous , especially for Europe. Due to high population density and large urban industrial areas, the massive deployment of the new conventional weapons would be devastating . [Source: DVW1/39532, pp. 61–69, BA-MA. Translated by Ursula Froese.] 512 ...

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