U.S. still No. 1 in armed might
An unofficial defense study rebuts President Reagan's claim of U.S. inferiority to the Soviet Union in nuclear arms. Retired Rear Adm. Gene La Rocque calls the report a broad picture of immense U.S. strength, noting the United States leads in strategic nuclear weapons and seaborne capabilities while the Soviet Union leads in land-based nukes. NATO outspent Warsaw Pact 256 to 202 billion in 1980, and NATO navies hold 428 major surface ships to the Warsaw Pact’s 281.