4
special report
soviet air defense: who decides to pull the trigger?
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
office of current intelligence
T PSECRET
4 SOVIET AIR DEFENSE: DECIDES TO PULL THE TRIGGER?
The recent Incident involving the loss9 aircraft over East Germany demonstrated that, within the Soviet air defense organization,
ncident
In the shootdown of9 onhe
i
TjrooHoiy vTOwec rneUS aircraft was flying at high speed and attitude well inside Zastone leavingno alternative but to destroy the intruder. They probably reasoned that any stove less than this would make the* liable to disciplinary action.
In any tha rei
little time
their relations with the US. They may evon hnve rade some change in standing operating procedures to reduce .heof future incidents, but no evidence of any such change has been detected.
Other Aircraft Incidents
a query to oe passea up to the political level and answered.
The promptness with which the Soviets released both the wreckage of the aircraft and the bodies of its crew suggests that they were concerned with the effect the incident would have on
7
SECilET^
Original document.
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