The balanced-fleet case sought resources for complementary forces at a time when a strategic fleet centered on nuclear submarines appeared cheaper. Soviet funding priority favored strategic nuclear forces and the army, so Gorshkov had to justify investment in a wider range of naval capabilities. The commissioning of Kiev and Minsk gave the argument immediate relevance as the service moved toward aircraft-carrying ships. Balance meant matching projected missions with a rational force mix, not buying equal numbers of every type. Capital ships supplied peacetime status and presence, while escorts and specialists made them viable in war; neither side of that relationship could substitute for the other.
Chapter · 49:15-52:27
Balanced fleet versus a single-purpose strategic fleet
Gorshkov argues that submarines, aircraft, surface ships, weapons, and defences must form a balanced fleet rather than a cheaper nuclear-only force.