The Soviets: Who's Who in the Brass

At its highest levels, the sprawling Soviet military narrows into a streamlined chain of command. Directly under Minister of Defense Dmitri Ustinov, a member of the top-secret Defense Council headed by Andropov, are Viktor Kulikov, commander in chief of the Warsaw Pact forces, and Chief of the General Staff Nikolai Ogarkov. The commanders of the Soviet services take their orders from Ogarkov.

In contrast to the four branches of the U.S. military (Navy, Army, Air Force, Marines), the Soviets have five. The strategic rocket forces are the most prestigious, and form the core of the...

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