§ Mr. Longdenasked the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the present strength of the Russian fleets in the Mediterranean and in the Persian Gulf; and what is the present strength of the fleets of the Western Alliance in those two seas.
§ Mr. HealeyOur latest information on Russian Naval deployments is that they have in the Mediterranean:
- 3 Cruisers, including the Helicopter Cruiser "Moskva".
- 7 Destroyers/Escorts.
- 6 Minor anti-submarine escorts and minesweepers.
- 4 Amphibious ships of 900 tons.
- 6 Survey ships.
- 4 Depot and support ships.
- About 5 intelligence collecting trawlers.
- About 8 submarines including probably 1 nuclear.
- In the Persian Gulf: nil.
I cannot reveal information about the deployments of Allied ships.