"Report on the Fall 1979 NATO Maneuvers"

. . . Despite an enormous strengthening of its nuclear weapons capability, NATO is by no means neglecting its conventional forces. In 1979 alone, 650 improved artillery systems of 203.2 and 155 mm caliber were deployed, which make possible not only an effective use of nuclear weapons but also, in connection with new conventional weapons, a more effective support of ground troops. In addition, the USA, Great Britain and the FRG have increased the range of their divisional artillery to more than 20km and have obtained the first high acceleration shells with a range of 30 km.

What I have explained on the examples of artillery applies to all types of arms and branches of the armed forces. The NATO fall maneuvers, on which you have just been informed, show the current high level of the offensive capabilities of the NATO units.

Altogether it has been found that the military-political situation in Europe has worsened in the past months as a result of the forced armament efforts of the NATO states and their intensified psychological warfare.

This increasingly threatening development in the Western theater of war, provoked by the machinations of NATO, forces on us a systematic improvement of the defense capabilities of Socialism.

[Report by Minister of National Defense Gen. Heinz Hoffmann to session of the National Defense Council, 23 November 1979, DVW 1/39520, Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv, Freiburg, translated by Catherine Nielsen, National Security Archive]

Report on the Fall 1979 NATO Maneuvers

. . . 3. The exercise showed a stronger military cohesion of NATO, an increased coordination of military cooperation with France, as well as a stronger alignment of the military and deployment principles of the national contingents with the NATO principles.

4. Noticeable was the striving towards fulfillment of military goals in the shortest possible time with deployment for the present of only conventional weapons and through that the search for ways to circumvent the danger of destruction resulting from massive nuclear strikes by the "Red" side . . .

[Report prepared for the session of the National Defense Council, 23 November 1979, DVW 1/39520, Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv, Freiburg, translated by Catherine Nielsen, National Security Archive]

Information on the "Results and Conclusions from the Fall 1984 Exercises of NATO forces"

. . . From the point of view of military technology:

1. At the exercises new types of battlefield technology were deployed, some in a considerable number of items; among them the "Leopard 2" (FRG), M 1 "Abrams" (USA), and "Challenger" (GB) tanks, the US 227 mm missile launcher, the "Tornado" (FRG) and F-15 (USA) fighter bombers. The deployment of this technology in combat was mastered by the troops.

It appears that the equipment of NATO forces with modern military technology and weaponry as well as with an effective command and reconnaissance structure is progressing and is aimed at gaining the lead in military technology.

2. The efficiency of the new military technology is essentially determined by new types of munitions which, according to NATO estimates, are at present not yet sufficiently available. A 10-15-fold larger destruction capability is expected from the new target-seeking ammunition or ammunition effective over a large targeting area. At the same time it is clear that the further supply of modern command, reconnaissance, and weapons guidance systems is an important prerequisite for the optimal use of the combat capacity of the military technology.

[Information prepared for the session of the National Defense Council, 25 January 1985, DVW 1/39530, Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv, Freiburg, translated by Catherine Nielsen, National Security Archive]

Information on "The Efforts of NATO to Gain Military Superiority in General Purpose Conventional Forces"

. . . 2. Striving for superiority through the development and deployment of new technology

The deployment of new technology in all branches of the armed forces will be followed in the upcoming years by the introduction of new types of munitions as well as modern command, fire guidance, reconnaissance and interference technology.

With this, the conditions are established for a qualitative increase in the combat effectiveness of the new military technology.

The supplying of modern command technology as well as the building up of automated command and information systems will increase stability and flexibility in the direction of forces even under complex operational conditions and will shorten the direction process to a half to a quarter of the currently required time . . .

[There follows a description of the new NATO weapons and their capabilities]

Overall estimates and conclusions:

1. All intelligence data and other materials show that besides nuclear and space weapons, an attempt is being made to achieve superiority of NATO forces over the forces of the Warsaw Treaty States also in the area of conventional military technology.

2. In the event of war, this development has dangerous consequences, particularly for Europe; because of a high population density and extensive areas of industrial concentration, the deployment of large numbers of the new conventional weapons will have devastating effects.