"SBcret-
Imports of Military Equipment and Materiel by North Vietnam4
"Sftrct-
onvory W5
5
INTERAGENCY INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT: Imports of Military Equipment and Materiel by North Vietnam4
KEY POINTS
Preliminary analysis of the intelligence community indicates that North Vietnam imported at0 million of military equipment and materiel from the USSR, China and Eastern Europe
This estimate will undoubtedly increase asevidence becomes available. He will be unable toeasonably complete estimate of4 military imports by North Vietnam until April or
we cannot at this time say whether, in the final estimate, Hanoi's military imports4 will turn out to be higher or lower than3 level of0 million.
Our estimates of Communist military deliveries to North Vietnam include only the cost of militaryand materiel provided to Hanoi, and theseare not comparable to the standard figures on US military aid to South Vietnam. Less than half of US military aid to the GVN in recent years has consisted of materiel comparable to that included in the estimated deliveries to North Vietnam.
DISCUSSION
1. We have little direct evidence on the overall level of military imports by North Vietnam Information on specific military shipments has been difficult to obtain
riuver caa
uecouu muat boviet, Chinese, and East European military shipments to North Vietnam have come overland through China, rather than by sea.) arge segment of militarysuch as ammunition for small arms and field artillery, can be gauged only indirectly by estimating military expenditures in South Vietnam and the level of supply flows to the South, which are at best rough .approximations and generally well after the fact. It will be at least April or May before we canthe overall level of military deliveries to North Vietnam for all4 with more confidence.
2. Nevertheless, our preliminary analysis indicates that North Vietnam has already received at0 million inequipment and materiel from its allies* (Seereakdown of this total.) Unlike past years, however, when air defense'equipment madeubstantial part of North Vietnam's military imports, most of the deliveries noted so far4 apparently have been concentrated in ground forces equipment and ammunition. Moreover, for the first timehina appears to be the main contributor of aid, primarily ammunition and ground forces equipment, valued0 million. Thisatural development with no air war in North Vietnamonsequently reduced requirement for sophisticated andair defense equipment which has come primarily from the Soviets. Military aid from the Soviet Union4 has been valued atillion so far. uch smaller quantity of military equipment, valued at aboutillion, is believed to have been provided by Hanoi's East European allies. Thetable provides comparative estimates for the years7 on, although4 figures are preliminary and incomplete.
"STORED
least one-third of the total value of military imports, and even more if antiaircraft (AAA) ammunition is included. The Soviet Union provided most of this, including large amounts of surface-to-air missile equipment, AAA weapons, and radar.
With one exception, no new air defense equipment was detected entering North Vietnam Peking did provide9 Maya jet trainers to Hanoi, valuedilliononlyercent of0 million total estimated to have been delivered to North Vietnam. Traditionally,ave been used as interceptors in an air defense role. North Vietnam also receivedrom China, although these may have been aircraft previously provided by China.
This cutback in air defense deliveries is attributable to Hanoi's reduced in-country air defense posture since the US ended its bombing of North Vietnam some two years ago. Theof Hanoi's defenses, theissile system now consists
of no more thanccupied sitesompared to theattalions operational at the time of the cease-fire.* The antiaircraft artillery system has not been augmented by thesince the deliverymall number of sophisticatedobile systems. The Soviets, on the other hand, probably sent atf the small shoulder-launchedround-to-air missiles, including some improved models, to maintain inventories in South Vietnam. The Communists made heavy use of this weapon
Ammunition
major indicator of the order of magnitude ofammunition imports is the volume of logisticthe southern Panhandle. Although there is no directthe amount of ammunition imported by Hanoi, thebe breaking sharply with past practice if they failedstocks in their strategic rear areas. It isthat munitions shipped south through the Panhandlein kind by imports.
no "longer esroioeable
maine that the number of deployed battali lower.
far0 short tons ofat slightly more0 million, have been detectedthe southern Panhandle en route to Laos and Southalready exceeds tho amount observed3 by aboutie close to5 million provided Thelarge quantities of ammunition for virtually everyby the NVA and were more than sufficient to replacethus adding to already sizable stockpiles.
Field Artillery and Armor
Vietnam probably continued to recoive someduring the paat year.
11.
conclusive evidence of imports of armor. Onsnail numbers of tanks and armored personnelwere observed in storage areas near Hanoi and movingrail lines in the southern Panhandle. Although seme ofprobably represents new imports, much of it wasin North Vietnam
(the Communigt armor inventory in the South has rema_ able, strongly suggesting that armor imports were Overall, we estimate that North Vietnamaboutanks and APCs to replace losses.
Small Arms and Other Infantry Weapons
12. Like most categories of military aid to North Vietnam, there is almost no direct evidence on the amount of small arms
Indirect evidence of possible field artillery imports wasduring the summerumber of tracked, prime movere, which are often ueed to haul artillery, were observed entering North Vietnam.
and other Infantry weapons layported by Banol. 1
Tn ii , tner targe snipments or Weapons ware nott
thateS-seems highly unlikely
that all these deliveries cane from materiel stockpiled in North Vietnam in earlier years.
Other Military Imports
North Vietnam received nineip helicopters from the USSRncreasing theirnventory Thi, helicopter,ift capacity of four tons,ariety of military applications, including the transport of militaryand cargo. To date, these expensive helicopters have been used only sparingly outside of North Vietnam, carrying priority cargo from North Vietnam into Laos. They could just as easily oe used to carry cargo into South Vietnam.
thanine monthse estimate that North Vietnam also received atrucks from the USSR, China and East European countries, compared tohe previous year. Of the trucks importedbout halfwere assigned to the military forces.
TABLE 2
MILITARY AID DELIVERIES4
Total Value
Air defense equipment Jet aircraft9
Ground forces equipmont Fieldm
9
Armored personnel carriers
Small arms and other infantry
Ammunition (short tons)
Other
Trucks
(Units)
0
0
600
Million3 USS
170
Data presented is an estimate based on preliminary information, and will be revised later. Individual categories are rounded to the nearestillion, the total to the nearestillion.
^No costing data is available4 US production costs of major weapons and equipment.
Because of the variety of weapons contained in this category, no quantity is listed.
TABLE 3
MILITARY AID DELIVERIES4
(Units)
3 US$2/
value
Air defense equipment
eplaoomont missiles
Ground forces equipment Fieldm
100
5
T-54
Armored personnel carriers
Small arms and other infantry weapons2/
Ammunition (short tons)
Other
Artillery prime movers Trucks Helicopters Mi-8
6 50
3 3
13
^Data presented is an estimate based on preliminary information and will be revised later. Individual categories are rounded to the nearestillion, the total to the nearestillion.
^No costing data is available4 US production costs of major weapons and equipment.
^/Because of the variety of weapons contained in this category, no quantity is listed.
Original document.
Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic: