HC Deb 22 April 1980 vol 983 cc123-4W
Mr. Churchill

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether these is evidence available to Her Majesty's Government that older-generation SS-4 and SS-5 missiles have been deactivated by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as SS-20 missiles have been deployed; or whether represent a net increase in inventory.

NATO (numbers) Ratio Warsaw Pact (numbers)
Soldiers 780,000 1:2.0 1,590,000
Soldiers in fighting units 590,000 1:2.0 1,160,000
Main Battle Tanks 6,600 1:5.0 32,700
Artillery 2,700 1:5.5 14,800
Fixed-wing tactical aircraft 1,200 1:6.7 8,000

The figures in the NATO column above are the same as those in fig. 4 of Command 7826-I, and relate only to forces

Mr. Pym

Some of the SS-4 and SS-5 missiles have been withdrawn from service as the SS-20 missiles have been introduced. However, at the present time a large number of the SS-4 and SS-5 remain operational and, since each SS-20 carries three re-entry vehicles there has been a marked increase in the total number of warheads deployed since its introduction.