Emerging Issues of Soviet Military Strategy in an Era of Reform: Preparing for a New Military Posture for Theater War

Abstract : Soviet military strategy--concerned with organizing, structuring, training, and equipping the Armed Forces, and the planning, preparation, and conduct of military operations in future was--is in the process of fundamental change. A new Soviet military posture and associated concepts for the conduct of theater-scale combined arms operations--shaped by a host of complex political, economic, and military considerations--is now beginning to take form. Clearly, a number of the political-military initiatives now underway were begun, or gained impetus, under the leadership of General Secretary M. S. Gorbachev. The catalysts for other recent developments in Soviet military strategy, however, particularly those of a purely military character, occurred as early as the last decade, and need to be considered as well in assessments of a developing Soviet military posture for theater war--the most critical component of Soviet military strategy today and the focus of this assessment. By the mid-1970s, the theater- strategic operation had become one of the most important areas of study and development for Soviet military strategy. In 1975, the Voroshilov General Staff Academy of the Soviet Armed Forces issued a revised version of its classified textbook on military strategy. Keywords: Engineers; Theater preparations; Logistics; Rear service support; Fortifications; Operations planning; Force structure; Combined arms operations.