The World - News from March 25, 1988

The Soviet navy may have been forced by economic constraints to make major cutbacks after a buildup over three decades intended to match U.S. forces, Jane’s Defense Weekly said. The authoritative London defense journal cited a U.S. naval intelligence report as saying the number of Soviet open-ocean exercises dropped steeply in the last year and that operations now are being held close to home. Soviet naval deployments overseas in 1987 declined by 6% from 1986, continuing a three-year downward trend, Jane’s said.