According to recently released US Department of Defense (DoD) intelligence estimates, the Soviet Air Forces have a grand total of 16,158 aircraft, while the Soviet Naval Air Force has a further 1,709. This current compilation of, principally, in-service Soviet aircraft emphasizes the fact that most Warsaw Pact military aircraft are of Soviet origin. Soviet aircraft in other Warsaw Pact nations' service are illustrated wherever possible, as are non-Soviet designs where applicable. The US DoD publication Soviet Military Power, mentioned in my introduction to Warbirds Illustrated No.8, has continued to be published annually. It remains, probably, the leading non-classified source to identify new Soviet developments and to quantify Soviet military aircraft production. The current edition, for example, published in March 1987, reports that further Tupolev 'Blackjack' supersonic bombers have joined the original five pre-production models being flight-tested. Over 50 operational Tu-95/142 'Bear-H' bombers have been equipped to carry the AS-15 'Kent' air-launched cruise missile. They are routinely flown on training missions against North America, at times coming within 50 miles of the Alaskan coast.
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