RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SOVIET CIVIL DEFENSE PROGRAM
Abstract
The Soviet civil defense program is far from complete and suffers from a variety of short comings. Apart from the notorious inefficiency of Soviet administration, there is the relatively short time that many persons will be able to remain in shelters, because of limited food supplies. Great crowding and absence of cooling equipment will force large numbers of them to evacuate their shelters via contaminated areas while the radiation level may still be fairly high. The Soviets recognize that the effectiveness of civil defense, surviving the attack, and winning the war will depend to a great extent on their ability to blunt or weaken the enemy's attack. This is why Soviet doctrine also emphasizes pre-emptive attacks as well as the importance of anti- aircraft and anti-missile d. Despite the present inadequacies of Soviet civil defense and the growing destructive ness of modern weapons, the Soviet leadership believes that the preservation of the Soviet state and society in the event of a war merits considerable efforts and the expenditure of relatively scarce money and resources. In the author's opinion, the available evidence leaves no doubt that the Soviet Union is engaged in an extensive civil defense program and that it believes it to be worth further efforts and con tinued investments.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1963
- Accession Number
- AD0406442
Entities
People
- Leon Goure
Organizations
- RAND Corporation