Honestly, my generation, if they choose, has a much better opportunity to become informed. We can find out about the Cold War on the internet, the History Channel, and a variety of other sources. And I think because of that, many of us will always look at Communist counties as a joke.
Today it is completely apparent the Soviet Union was nothing more than a paper tiger. It was scary at the time, yes, but once we gain some perspective, it was nothing more than a thuggish police state, churning out crappy cars, tanks, and planes.
When the Iron Curtain fell, it wasn’t like we got some huge influx of Soviet technology (did the Soviets ever invent ANYTHING???). They on the other hand, got to enjoy toaster ovens, microwaves, and refrigerators, not to mention computers, cell phones, and the internet. They were nothing more than a dog that was all bark and no bite.
“They were nothing more than a dog that was all bark and no bite.”
Soviet capability as of 1987:
Strategic Nuclear Forces (ICBM):
28 SS-11 (single warhead)
420 SS-11 Mod 4 (6 MRV each)
60 SS-13 Mod 2 (single warhead)
150 SS-17 Mod 3 (4 MIRV each)
308 SS-18 Mod 4 (10 MIRV each)
360 SS-19 Mod 3 (6 MIRV each)
70 SS-25 (mobile-single warhead)
SLBM:
944 missiles (336 have MIRV) on 62 SSBN submarines
39 missiles on 13 older SSBN
Strategic Aviation:
180 Bear and Bison bombers
270 Backfire bombers
397 medium range Blinder and Badgers bombers
450 shorter range Fencer strike aircraft
All of the above are nuclear capable, and the Bears can carry cruise missiles that each have a range of more than 1800 miles.
Non-Strategic Nuclear Forces:
441 SS-20 IRBM (3 MIRV each)
112 SS-4 IRBM
39 SS-N-5 SLIRBM
Short Range Nuclear Forces:
693 SS-1C SCUD or SS-23 SRBM
146 SS-12/SS-22 SRBM
675 FROG-7 or SS-21
800 nuclear capable artillery tubes
Ground Forces:
213 Manuver Divisions (199 active, 98 of which faced NATO)
7 Airborne Divisions
2 OMG (Operational Manuver Groups)
52,600 tanks (1/3 to 1/2 were later T-64/72/80 series)
59,000 APC and IFV
39,000 Artillery pieces including MRL’s
4,600 SAM’s
12,000 AAA
25,000+ MANPADS
100 Spetznaz teams (Special Forces)
20 Attack Helicopter Regiments with 60 attack helicopters each in each Army Group.
The 2 OMG each had 450 tanks, 600 IFV/APC, 300 Artillery/MRL or about twice of what a typical Soviet division had.
Air Forces:
700 Bombers (covered above)
6,300 Fighters and Fighter-Bombers
1,200 Interceptors
600 Transport
Naval Forces:
675 surface combatants
1,600 Aircraft
16,000 Marines
25 Naval Spetznaz teams
Strategic Air Defence
1,200 Interceptors
9,000 SAM’s
None of these figures include the Warsaw Pact forces which adds another roughly 8,000 tanks, 7,400 APCs, 4,300 Artillery, 1,100 SAMs, 500 AAA, 500 SSM, and 13,000 combat aircraft