http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB426/
Apparently, some Soviets believed that this exercise might only be a cover.
Thats pretty scary stuff.
IIRC this Soviet exercise created quite a stir at the time.
Exercise Zapad-81
Quotein 1981 the U.S. Navy led an armada of 83 ships through Soviet waters, effectively eluding "the USSR's massive ocean reconnaissance system and early-warning systems."
Wow. Never heard that before.
Summer '83 was the year we moved back to Germany from Norfolk. Spent the next 5 years there. A fantastic 5 years, too.
I participated in every Reforger while I was stationed in Germany (502MI, 2ACR Nurnberg) including this one and I don't recall this one being any different or special compared to the others. However, my view from ground level was admittedly limited.
Mirth, I need to find more background on this "Armada" sneaking through the Soviet surveillance net.
At that pre-satellite time, the Soviets relied heavily on Bear Ds for long range tracking. Their SOP was to home in on radio/radar transmissions and track the sending stations across the Atlantic. It's a big ocean, and even from altitude, you can't see more than a little patch.
However, my guess would be, they were outfoxed by over relying on our signals. Back in '69 (I think), Ike Kidd (the son of the admiral blown up on Arizona, and later ComSixFlt) took a carrier group across the Atlantic. He told people what he was going to do, but no one really thought he would.
After leaving Mayport, his force went totally Emission Control, turning off all radars and radios. He pulled the screen in tight, like the World War II carrier groups, and worked through signal flag and flashing light. When the Sovs realised they had "lost" a carrier, they went ballistic. From SOSUS, Ike knew there were no subs on his intended track, and only had to avoid the Bears.
Since there were no transmissions to follow, the Soviets went totally against doctrine and turned on their own search radars.
Using the onboard Electronic Intelligence equipment, all the group's ships picked up the Bear's radars at ranges up to 500 nm. (A radar with an effective range of say, 300 miles, can be picked up by sensitive equipment out to 900 miles. The signal is degraded, but you can get a bearing.) Using simple trig, and a maneuvering board, you could triangulate the plane's. With good spots, you could work out a rough course and speed from multiple spots. He maneuvered his group to go away from the Bears, and it worked.
The only reason the group finally was picked up, was the Pentagon ordered him to report his position. Within two hours, a Bear D was doing a lazy figure eight out at thirty miles.
My guess is that this convoy followed his methods. If they did not, I'd love to find out what was going on.