Q&A · 2:33:46-2:34:57

What Gorshkov would buy with a larger 1970s budget

Gorshkov's priority would be more centerpiece ships within a balanced fleet rather than a submarine-only force.

Question

What would Gorshkov have built with more money in the early 1970s?

Short answer

He would expand the balanced fleet, especially carriers, large cruisers, and probably submarines, to gain more deployment flexibility.

Notes

Balance was Gorshkov's recurring force-structure principle. Additional funding would enlarge multiple arms of the fleet rather than produce a submarine-only force. Carriers and large cruisers would receive particular attention because they were scarce centerpiece assets. Their construction would give Soviet leaders more flexible global presence while submarines and smaller ships continued to supply depth and coverage.