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{
    "localId": "225248545",
    "label": "Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Reports and Estimates Report, Number 19-48, Soviet Military and Civil Aviation Policies",
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    "id": "225248545",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/225248545",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Reports and Estimates Report, Number 19-48, Soviet Military and Civil Aviation Policies",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/225248545",
    "collections": [
        "President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
        "Intelligence Files"
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    "levelOfDescription": "item",
    "productionDates": [
        {
            "day": 23,
            "logicalDate": "1948-04-23",
            "month": 4,
            "year": 1948
        }
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    "seq": 5,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
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    "ocrText": "SOVIET MILITARY AIR POLICY\nSUMMARY\nAGENCIES INVOLVED IN MILITARY AIR POLICY\nThere are numerous agencies in the Soviet Union which participate in the formu-\nlation and implementation of military air policy, the most important of which are the\nCouncil of Ministers, the Ministry of Armed Forces, the Armed Forces General Staff,\nthe Main Administrations of the Soviet Air Force and the Soviet Navy, and the Civil Air\nFleet. The State Planning Commission and the Academy of Sciences of the USSR like-\nwise exercise such functions, as also do a considerable number of the 58 ministries repre-\nsented on the Council of Ministries. Since information as to the interrelationships\namong agencies involved in military air policy is almost completely lacking, what follows\nis primarily speculation.\nMajor policy decisions probably are made at the very top level, which would go\nbeyond the Council of Ministers into the Politburo itself. Once decision had been\nreached in the Politburo, acceptance in the Council of Ministers would be a foregone\nconclusion. Each ministry would make note of the requirements which affect its par-\nticular operations, so that such matters as production of aircraft, electronics equip-\nment, and any other materials needed by the air program could be included in the\nplans which each ministry must submit to the State Planning Commission (GOSPLAN).\nThe GOSPLAN Commission is responsible for the preparation of quarterly, yearly, and\nfive-year plans and for the supervision of the fulfillment of the plans after their approval\nby the Council of Ministers. This commission is believed to have a major role in imple-\nmenting military aviation policy.\nThe Academy of Sciences, in general, governs science and research, and undoubt-\nedly is a major factor in the implementation of air policy with respect to the research\nwhich must precede the development of new aircraft and related equipment.\nWithin the Ministry of Armed Forces, coordination of air policy with that of the\nmilitary program as a whole is probably handled by the Minister in council with his\ndeputies, who include the Chiefs of the Air Force, Ground Forces, Naval Forces, and Rear\nServices, in addition to the Chief of the Armed Forces General Staff. This latter\nofficer\nfunctions as first deputy minister. In most respects, it is believed that the air arm\nremains subordinate to the ground force high command.\nRELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF AIR IN NATIONAL DEFENSE\nThe Soviet high command appears to be putting principal reliance for defense\non\nthe mass strength of ground armies, which means that the air force will continue to\nhave a major tactical role. During World War II the Soviet Air Force was organized\nand employed as an instrument for direct and immediate support of the ground forces.\nIn this role, the air force was much larger and more important than the Soviet Navy,\nbut still far less important in Russian military thinking than were the ground armies.\n3"
}