This html article is produced from an uncorrected text file through optical character recognition. Prior to 1940 articles all text has been corrected, but from 1940 to the present most still remain uncorrected. Artifacts of the scans are misspellings, out-of-context footnotes and sidebars, and other inconsistencies. Adjacent to each text file is a PDF of the article, which accurately and fully conveys the content as it appeared in the issue. The uncorrected text files have been included to enhance the searchability of our content, on our site and in search engines, for our membership, the research community and media organizations. We are working now to provide clean text files for the entire collection.
By Milan N. Vego
The revolutionary events in Eastern Europe have had some profound repercussions on the structure and development of the non-Soviet Warsaw Pact armed forces. The most important changes lie not in hardware, although economic difficulties throughout the region have virtually stopped investments in new naval weapon systems. The changes are mainly political. Democratic reforms in Poland and East Germany and revolution in Romania have altered the role of the party organization, political education and indoctrination being especially affected. Bulgaria may well follow suit. The command structure of the armed forces is to be separated from the party organization. Hence, the role of the main political administrations in the armed forces will be profoundly affected. Also, the premilitary education system and the draft will be greatly reduced. No such changes have been announced in the navies of Albania and Yugoslavia, however, where party control remains strong.
This is especially ironic in Yugoslavia, where the western parts of the country are moving toward a multiplural political system, and which once led political reforms in Eastern Europe.
Warsaw Pact Exercise in the Baltic:
The Warsaw Pact held no large-scale exercises in the Baltic in 1989 in which non-Soviet naval forces and aviation took part. The Joint Squadron of the Warsaw Pact in the Baltic conducted a cruise from late June until the last week of July. The squadron was composed of the Polish missile destroyer Warszawa and an auxiliary ship. The East German Volksmarine participated with two Rostock-class (former Soviet Koni-class) coastal protection ships (the Halle and the Rostock) and two auxiliary ships. The Soviet contingent consisted of one modified Kashin-class missile destroyer, two Krivak-class missile frigates, and two auxiliary ships. A series of exercises with submarines, surface forces, and aviation by Soviet and East German ships was held during the first leg of the joint cruise to Tallinn, Soviet Union, and then to Warnemiinde, East Germany. After leaving the Danish Straits, the squadron carried out a supply-at-sea exercise off Skagen, Denmark. Then the squadron returned to the Baltic, where it was the exercise target of coordinated attacks by the fleet forces, naval aviation, and air forces of all three Baltic Warsaw Pact states. This part of the joint cruise was the high point of the maneuver.
East Germany: As a result of the recent upheaval, the Volksmarine Commander-in-Chief Vice Admiral Theodor Hoffmann has been appointed to replace General Heinz Kessler as the Minister of National Defense. Admiral Hoffmann took his previous position only in December 1987. A new military law that will considerably restructure the National People’s Army, including the Volksmarine, was partially unveiled in late December 1989.
On the hardware side, the Volksmarine has commissioned the first of a new class of small missile ships, dubbed by NATO the Bal-Com-10. The ship displaces about 400 tons, is 52 meters long, and has an estimated maximum speed of 38 knots. Westerners first observed this ship in January 1989. She is armed with tow quad launchers for a new, probably Soviet-designed missile designated SS-NX- 25, and one 76-mm. gun. The missile is much smaller than the SS-N-2 Styx, is believed to have sea-skimming capability, and is subsonic. Its range probably does not exceed 100 kilometers. The missile is housed in cylindrical-section container-launchers resembling those used for the U.S. Harpoon and the French Exocet. According to some Western reports, 12 Bal-Com-lOs are planned. But the country’s economic difficulties may reduce the number.
East Germany reportedly intends to remove its 50,000-person Border Troops, including the Coastal Border Brigade, from the jurisdiction of the Ministry of National Defense and place them under the Ministry of the Interior instead.1
Poland: According to unofficial reports, Poland acquired two Kilo-class submarines from the Soviets in exchange for building Soviet amphibious ships- The Poles were reportedly reluctant to acquire these submarines because they believe that the relatively large Kilos are unsuitable for use in the Baltic Sea.
A new landing ship built in Gdansk, Lublin, was sighted by Western forces for the first time in August 1989. The ship is 95.8 meters long and 10.8 meters W|de, can make 17 knots, and has an estimated loading area of 600 square meters 80 that it can carry simultaneously 8 heavy tanks and 135 soldiers. The Lublin c'ass is intended to replace some of the 23 older Polnocnys in service with the Polish Navy, which carry only 5 to 6 heavy hjnks and 60 soldiers.2 So far, eight Notek-class coastal minesweepers have Ccn built; the eighth reportedly entered Service in July 1988.3 Since then, at least °ne additional craft has been commis- I'oned. It has also been reported that ‘-tniwka-class coastal minesweepers modified from trawlers are in service.4
The first of the new SKS-40 coastal Patrol craft was commissioned in 1989.
he craft was built by the Wisla yard in Gdynia. It is 42.5 meters long, has a Maximum speed of 17 knots, and carries a crew of 11 plus two maritime office inspectors.5 These craft are probably in- ended to replace the older modified hfoze- and Gdansk-class large patrol Craft in service with the coastal guard. It was reported that the 12,000-man P Sea Landing Division based in the dansk area and specially trained for amphibious assault landings has been restrUctured and reduced to a brigade size 0 roughly 5,000. It also will no longer be Quipped with PT-76 amphibious light
tanks.6
Bulgaria: The Bulgarian government bounced that it would reduce the c°untry’s armed forces by 10,000 (the cUrrent overall strength is 160,000) and ut the military budget by 12%. This includes scrapping five warships.7 The government did not specify which ships will be scrapped, but the most likely candidates are three ex-Soviet Poti-class ASW corvettes and some of 23 ex-Soviet Vydra-class medium landing ships.
Bulgaria’s State Council announced on 17 May 1989 that, by a special order of the Minister of National Defense, service in the Bulgarian People’s Army is to be limited to two years in general, and to three years for designated specialists.8 The Bulgarian Navy currently requires three years of service.
The navy’s Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Vasil Yanakiev, stated in an interview that there were many disciplinary problems in navy units. He also complained that the officers still have to overcome problems resulting from what he called the “old style and methods of work.” The biggest problem is that many naval officers show a lack of initiative and an unwillingness to take risks.
In recent years the Bulgarian Navy has introduced new methods of combat training. First, the ship COs and unit commanders are to be given more independence in planning training activities, while their superiors will supposedly determine only the measures, directions, and tasks. Second, naval draftees will be taught special skills in independent groups so that their level of training at the beginning of the training year equals to that of second-year ratings. Third, ship COs and unit commanders are to be trained at shore simulator centers equipped with mainframe and personal computers. And fourth, in 1986-87, the Bulgarian Navy began integrated combat training of its fleet forces at sea. This
As the Wall collapsed, most regional navies forsaw more political freedom, although they remain under Soviet operational control. But weak economies still limit their abilities to invest in new systems.
centers on the ships carrying out independent and joint assignments simultaneously.9
A shooting incident occurred between an unidentified Bulgarian and a Turkish patrol craft on 24 April 1989. Neither side suffered casualties. The Bulgarian government charged that the Turkish craft violated its territorial waters, while the Turks claimed that the incident took place in their coastal waters.10
Romania: The Romanian naval buildup, which started in the early 1980s and slowed down in the past two years, has completely stopped. No new ships or craft were reported to enter service in 1989.
Yugoslavia: The Una-class midget submarines are officially designated as MD-lOOs.11 Four are in service. The last pair of the Kraljevica-c\ass large patrol craft were reportedly deleted from service in 1989.12 The Mima-class patrol craft are armed with one quad launcher for SA-N-5 surface-to-air missiles. The three 860-ton (full load) PO-91 -class (also known as the Lubin-class) multipurpose transports carry antiship missiles, torpedoes, and mines. The ships of this class can load six wheeled or tracked vehicles and as many as 150 troops. The stores
carried on board can last up to ten days.13
Yugoslavia’s naval air arm currently consists of two helicopter groups totalling 15 Ka-25 Hormone-As, five Ka-27 Helix-As, and 20 Mi-8 Hip-Cs.14 According to other reports, the Yugoslav Navy also operates six Mi-14 Haze-A ASW helicopters.15 In addition, it uses two DHC-2 Beaver and four CL-215 amphibians for liaison duties and to transport dignitaries.16 The Yugoslav Air Force had acquired at least 16, and according to some Western reports 20, MiG-29 Fulcrums by late 1988.17 Some are expected to support fleet forces.
The East German Volksmarine
East Germany’s Volksmarine (People’s Navy) is small but modem and is a potent force in the Baltic—probably the best-trained and most combat-ready non-Soviet Warsaw Pact navy. Although the Volksmarine does not have submarines as does the Polish Navy, it is a more balanced small coastal-warfare force than any other East European navy. Its main strength lies in its relatively large force of missile-armed craft and torpedo craft. It also has a strong coastal ASW capability, a sizeable but short-range amphibious lift capacity, and a relatively large number of mine countermeasures (MCM) ships. But probably its most important assets are its highly trained and professional officer corps and sailors. As the upheaval in the country continues, the role and missions, as well as the size and structure, of the Volksmarine are bound to change radically.
The development of East Germany’s naval force spans four decades, from a paramilitary sea police force to a modem coastal warfare fleet. In January 1950 the Soviets directed East Germany’s Main Administration for Training to organize a police force to patrol the coast and the three-nautical-mile-wide zone of coastal water off Soviet- occupied Germany. Thus the Sea Police Administration came into being.1 It changed its name in July 1950 to the Main Administration of Sea Police with its headquarters in Berlin-Niederschonwerde. Initially this administration controlled about a dozen old former Nazi German patrol and minesweeping craft (acquired from the Soviets in 1945 and then turned over to East Germany) and horse-mounted coastal guards.
The Main Administration for Training changed its name to the Barracked People’s Police in July 1952. At the same time, the Main Administration of Sea Police was transformed into the People’s Police—Sea, whose main task was to sweep mines from coastal waters and protect the shipping lanes and fisheries.
For purely police duties, the Border Police—Sea was organized in July 1952.2 It changed its name to Border Brigade in 1957, and to the Coastal Border Brigade in February 1962.3
East Germany’s People’s Chamber (or Parliament) passed a law on 18 January 1956 that led a month later to the establishment of the National People’s Army. Two months later, on 1 March, the People’s Police—Sea was transformed into the Naval Forces of the National People’s Army with the headquarters in Rostock-Wamemunde. The new organization, however, did not come into effect until 1 July 1956.
It was not until 5 November 1960 that the East German naval forces changed their name to National People’s Navy or the Volksmarine for short. The link to the Soviet Union remained and, in May 1962, the Soviet Baltic Fleet, the Polish Navy, and the Volksmarine came under the operational control of the newly formed command of the Socialist Fleets in the Baltic.4 This command, led by a three-star Soviet admiral, was based in Leningrad.
Naval aviation began in the Volksmarine in May 1963, when the first independent helicopter squadron was formed.5 This unit was redesignated as an ASW detachment in 1971. By 1 December 1976 the detachment was restructured into a helicopter squadron that later was named in honor of Kurt Barthel.6
Since 1981 the Volksmarine has attempted to modernize its increasingly old force of combat craft and coastal ASW component and improve its endurance on the high seas.
Force Organization: Despite the recent political changes in the country, the Volksmarine remains firmly under Soviet operational control. A Soviet admiral with a number of staff officers is permanently assigned at its headquarters
in Rostock-Gehlsdorf to ensure liaison with the Leningrad command of the Socialist Fleets in the Baltic. The commander-in-chief of the Volksmarine is essentially only an administrative post, in control of subordinate forces and the shore establishment.7
For administrative purposes, the Volksmarine comprises the Fourth Military District of the National People’s Army. The Volksmarine consists of troop parts, units, formations, and education establishments. The two basic naval combat arms are surface forces, which include attack forces, defense forces, and support forces, and naval aviation forces. In addition, there are also special troops (for communications and intelligence) and services (for rear service and sea hydrographic service).8
The total strength of the Volksmarine is currently 16,300 personnel, 2,300 of whom are officers.9 Five thousand of the personnel are afloat, 4,200 are shore support, and 2,000 are in training at any time.10 An estimated 25,000 are in the trained reserves.11