SOVIET AND CUBAN AID TO THE MPOLA IN ANGOLA DURING JANUARY 1976 (NIO IIM 76-007

Created: 2/1/1976

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

Interagency Intelligence Memorandum ,

Soviet and Cuban Aid to tfaMPLA.in During6

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TW DUaCTOB Of CENTRAL -

WASB.GIOH

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MEMORANDUM FOR: The Hooorable Brent Scovcroft

Assistant to the T

(i: ir tonal Security Affairs)

and Cuban Military Aid to the HTLA io Angola

During6

' 4 1. The attached Interagency Intelligence Memorandum contains _the intelligence community's assessment of the amounts of military aid sent to Angola by the Soviet Union and Cuba in This report supplements an earlier report on the same Subject, covering the period from March through As the attachedmakes clear, Soviet and Cuban aid to the. MPLAalreadyigh level in Decemberincreased markedly in January.

.2. This memorandum has been prepared jointly by the Central Intelligence Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Bureau of Intelligence and Research of the Department of State, and the National Security Agency.

Gedrge"Bush

Attachment

L '

ce: The Secretary of State

The Secretary of Defense

The Chairman, The Joint Chiefs of Staff

el IO. ii*n

SKItOMII

- top oecrlh-e-

6 interagency intelligence memorandum"

subject; sovie^and^cuban aid topla in angola during

key points

the amount of military support provided the popular movement for the liberation of angola (mpla) by theunion and cuba increased markedly in

it is conservatively estimated that such military support delivered in january alone totaled h"

the january total is more than double the5

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the bulk of the increased outlays reflected cuba's vastly expanded effort to support its troops in angola. during january, as manydditional cubans were sent to angola, raising the total number of cuban troops sent there to an

Thia memorandum eupplemente and brings up to date an eariver Interagency Intelligence Memorandum entitled,

Sovtet and Cuban Aid to the MPLA in Angolaubliehed on January hae been prepared jointly by the CentralIntelligence Agency, the Bureau of

Intelligence and Research of the Department of State, and the National Security Agency.

-top-

Soviet military shipments in Januarysomewhat over theanuarye have confirmed fortime in Angola such eguipmentamphibiousnd pontoon -

T

He have continued to receive reports type jet fighters are in Angola. There isivision of views within the US intelligence community, however, as to whether MIGs are actually present in-country.

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The Details

The pace of both Soviet and Cuban military aid bi Angola has steadily increased since September.

We estimate that during January, their combined sea andinto the

Angolan area. In addition, as manyuban troops were moved to Angola in that month. This is twice the

COOpS than

Sealift Operations

ommunist ships ^Soviet andf" estimated^to have arrived in the area andequipment and/or personnel for Angola in JanuaryT"

, the Cuban ships also

carrieduban military personnel.

voyage patterns of Soviet arms carriersAngola in January were markedly different from earlier Most ships in January sailed non-stop from thethe Angolan region. In contrast, most arrivals inas many as five different ports, some beforeAngolan region and some after, on one voyage itinerary.

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TOP 0EGRET-

Thus, although January ship arrivals did not top earlier months, the amount of goods off-loaded in Angola or Congo is estimated to have been larger.

4. During January and early February, we confirmed the presence in Angola of several new types of Soviet-manufactured military4 tanks were clearly identified through newsreel photography in- early February, and were probably brought into the country in December or January. Also identified for the first time were Soviet amphibious vehicles and pontoon bridges. We have continued to receive reports that MIG-type jet aircraft are in Angola. There isivision of views within the US intelligence community, however, as to whether MIGs are actually present f"

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7. in january, the soviets flew

from the ussr to the angola region

_ -j theseestimated to haveequipment.

airlift operations from cuba to the angola

re estimated to haveroops (in addition touban troops sent by ship)mall amount of cargo.

ENIED IN FULL

Original document.

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