§ 76. Mr. Gerald HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of military equipment production in the Soviet Union.
§ Mr. Ian StewartThe Soviet Union does not publish figures for its production of military equipment. My Department therefore needs to make its own estimates. Such estimates are, of course, extremely difficult to make and are subject to revision as and when new information becomes available.
Preliminary estimates, by major equipment categories, for 1986 include the following:
Number Main battle tanks 3,500 Artillery 3,200 Fighter aircraft 700 Bombers 45 Helicopters 625 Transport aircraft 180 Major surface ships 6 Submarines 8