From the Archives (May 3, 1972) | Russia’s new submarine missile

London, May 2: The Soviet Union has flight-tested a new submarine-launched ballistic missile with a range of more than 3,000 miles, the International Institute of Strategic Studies reported. The Institute said that after surpassing the United States in land-based missiles, Russia now seemed likely to catch up with America’s substantial lead in strategic missile-carrying submarines by the middle of next year — sooner than had been foreseen. The institute did not foresee a major war in the 1970s since “the Nuclear King’s peace seemed to eliminate that fear”. Half the Soviet combatant surface fleet will be equipped with missiles by 1975, the institute said. Russia is also building a new nuclear-powered attack submarine, and its long-range submarines had been significantly improved in construction and weapon systems. However, the United States steadily pushed the qualitative improvement of its strategic nuclear forces, the survey said. The Chinese are building a new twin-jet fighter, a new radar system and improved, Soviet-type SAM2 ground-to-air missiles, the study said.