CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Directorate of 2nteIIioer.ce8
INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM
Communist Harassment: of us Ships and Aircraft
Sun-nary
The major source of harassing activity7 has come from Soviet naval units which have interferred with US naval operations principally in the Pacific area. Harassment involving air units has been virtually nonexistent.
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Soviet Naval Harassment
1. US naval.units are frequently harassed during exercises
The harassment tenos to become morewhen US ships are operating in areas thefeel are "their" waters, such as the Sea of Japan, the Black Sea, and more end more of late, the Mediterranean.
have been numerous nearships of the US Navy and the Sovietnormal tactic employed by Sovietships operating off Polaris bases iswith departing or arriving US submarines
for purposes of observation. Another tactic is for Soviet ships to maneuverosition where they have the right of way under the Rules of the Road and then steam into the midstask force conducting air or antisubmarine operations.
most serious incidents haveUS naval ships were operating off thethe USSR, inoviet destroyerUS destroyer collidedS-Japanesein the Sea of Japan. Ino-
ship collided with the US Banner in the Sea of Japan. There was some "heavy" surveillance when US units entered the Black Sea in February and7
Much of the Soviet activity probably is the result of aggressive intelligence collection rathereliberate attempt to cause In addition to harassment as such, theregularly conduct sea and air reconnaissance of US naval operations, particularly carrierCommunist Naval Harassment
The Chinese Communists were not involved ir. any harassment of US naval ships
Their usual tactic hes been to protest in the forma "serious warning" any transgression of the waters they claim as being their "territorial They claim all watersinea number of offshore islands along the coast.
Soviet Harassment of US Aircraft
was only one possibleovietesternthis incident, which occurred
a British military transport was forced to land in East Germanyoviet fighter even though the transport was flying well within the central Berlin corridor. There were indications, however, that this may havease of mistaken identity and that no harassment was intended. The Soviet interceptors were involved in an exercise and may have mistaken the British aircraft for their target.
from this one incident, Sovietwith respect to US and other Westernhave been limited to normal interception*-
rcrait
8. In the past, most incidentsarassing nature have occurred in the Berlin corridor. 7 Soviet air safety controllers were actually more cooperative than usual. In one instance the Soviet controller in Berlin requested Alliedto return to the corridor as soon as possible if they had deviated from the corridor in order to avoid thunderstorms.
Chinese Communist Harassment of US Aircraft
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Original document.
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