Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-05
By L. EDGAR PRTNA
star stan Writer

StoA oeeA VAANOA
In considering the enormity Of
the Soviet military threat, many
Americans seek an answer to it
only in our own retaliatory forces.
They consider the powerful long
range bombers of the Strategic
Air Command, the planes of the
Navy's fast carrier task forces,
combat-ready Marines and Army
units and the expanding arsenal
of balliStic missiles.
And they feel pretty good about
it despite the warnings by gloomy
critics of a future Soviet advan-
tage in numbers Of operating
ICBMs.
But, doubtless, they would feel
more treasured if they thought
about the growing military
strength of our North Atlantic
Treaty Organization allies. We
are not alone. Indeed, if the
Soviet Union should attack the
West it is not at all unlikely that
a British Bomber Command air.
craft would deliver the first stra-
tegic retaliatory blow.
NATO is now celebrating its
10th anniversary. And, while the
early ambitious plans for its
Sword and Shield forces have
been set aside mostly for eco
nomic reasonS) the alliance boasts
formidable military power.
Without counting in any Ameri-
can units at home or abroad,
NATO shows these strength esti-
mates:
Ground forces of 90 million
men. Combat aircraft. 5000. Ma
val vessels. more than 1900.
Germans Counted, Too
All these totals will be aug
mented by additional West Ger
man contributions. They will still
be below those of the USSR in
each category, but they are sub
stantial forces and are growing
in effectiveness as newer and
more powerful weapons roll out
Of the laboratories and off the
production lines.
OF our Is NATO partners who
maintain armed forces ICELAND
does not), the Big Three are, or
soon will be, Great Britain, France
and West Germany.
Britain, Of course, is the worlds
third nuclear power. 1t is produce
ing both atomic and hydrogen
weapons at an increasing rate.
1t is rushing development of an
advanced liquid-fuel, 2,500-mile
ballistic missile, the Blue Streak,
which will be launched from un-
foreground bases for strikes deep
inside the USSR. Meanwhile, it
has been getting American-made
Thor IRBMs.
Many other new missiles for a
variety Of purposes are in opera
ton or under development by the
British-weapons with such names
as Seaslug, Sea Cat. Firestreak,
Bloodhound, Thunderbird and
Blue Steel. a 400-mile air-to-sur-
face "stand-off" rocket which
could be fired from a bomber
outside the most heavily defended
enemy areas.
Hieh-FIyine Bombers
Two new Raj jet bombers, Vul-
can and Victor, can fly higher and
as fast as any known operational
bombers in the world today. And
Raj crews are the near equals of
Americas SAC units in skill and
state-of-training.
The Royal Navy. cut down
sharply by austerity budgets in
the postwar years, is being
modernized.
The Fleet Air Arm is receiving
deliveries Of the new Scimitar
fighter bomber; the advanced
Sea Vixen fighter becomes opera
tional next year and the Ma. 80, a
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. aircraft
well suited to limited war situa-
tons, will be produced. The Brit
ish have six aircraft carriers.
In addition, two new Porpoise
class submarines will be commits
stoned this year and plans for
construction of the nuelear-
powered sub, Dreadnought. are
proceeding. The first Of three
Tiger class cruisers viii join the
feet this spring.