World: NEW REALITY IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

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In recent weeks, the Soviets have put yet another x into the equation. To the Soviet eskadra (squadron) in the Mediterranean, which has numbered as many as 52 ships, including two cruisers, ten submarines and six intelligence-collecting trawlers, the Russians added an entirely new kind of vessel on the face of the oceans—a multipurpose, missile-firing helicopter carrier. The Russians so far have built no Western-style aircraft carriers because they consider them vulnerable to missile attack. In stead, into the Mediterranean glided the Moskva, a sleek 25,000-ton vessel that combines the features of a cruiser and a carrier. The craft has four pads marked with red and white bull's-eyes on her 100-yd. flight deck for launching up to 30 helicopters of the Hormone type used in antisubmarine warfare. The Moskva is the first Soviet vessel in the Mediterranean equipped with ship-to-air as well as ship-to-ship missiles, and each time a U.S. Navy P-2 patrol plane tries to take a peek, the Russians swiftly swing the missiles below decks on elevator platforms. In a crunch, the helicopters could carry troops. In the future, the Moskva will be able to handle VTOL (vertical takeoff, landing) planes as well as helicopters.

Altering the Balance. In the opinion of U.S. strategists, the Soviet Mediterranean force, lacking big aircraft carriers, would be no match for the Sixth Fleet, with its 50 combat ships, including two carriers and two cruisers, 200 aircraft and 25,000 men. The Russian squadron in the Mediterranean is, in fact, smaller than the Italian navy. But as U.S. Admiral Horacio Rivero, commander of NATO forces in Southern Europe, notes: "While the Soviet flotilla is a potential military threat, its greatest importance is political and psychological. The number of ships is not too important. The presence of one ship has a political impact."

A coup attempt in Egypt or Syria, a blockade thrown against Israel for Egypt, a pro-Soviet political upheaval in Albania, a Soviet power play against Yugoslavia—all are situations in which the Soviets could use their new seapower with unpredictable results. Some Western strategists worry that the friendly neighborhood presence of Russian ships may tempt the Arabs to take foolish chances soon against Israel, in the belief that the Russians would rush to their aid if Israel lashed back in force.

Nothing of the sort has yet happened, and in fact the Russians so far have failed to persuade any of the countries along the Mediterranean, including Algeria and Egypt, to permit them to build a full-fledged naval base. But even without such bases, the Soviets now drop anchor all along the rim of the Mediterranean and sail binocular-to-binocular alongside the allies. The Russians muscled into the Mediterranean, says U.S. Rear Admiral Richard C. Outlaw, "in a concerted attempt to alter the balance of power in this area." It is to keep the balance even that this week Outlaw, whose name the Italians have happily translated as Il Bandito, takes command of Maritime Air Forces, Mediterranean (MAIRAIRMED), the special new NATO naval air arm created to coordinate the watch on the Russians watching NATO.