Civilian-Military Differences on Soviet Aircraft Carrier Deployment

An open debate has erupted in the Soviet press on the future of Soviet carrier deployment. The debate generally pits civilians, in particular the specialists at the Academy of Sciences, against the military (and especially navy) high command. The civilians question the costs and efficacy of the carrier program, while military spokesmen have defended it. This research memorandum examines the debate by focusing on two recent articles that present the key arguments of both sides.