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MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS IN INDOCHINA

DCI BRIEFING.

1. One of the major concerns of Asian leaders since the
the fall of Saigon in early 1975 has been that the
Soviet Union would move military forces into the area,
Asian leaders have been especially concerned about the
possibility that the Vietnamese might allow the Soviets
to establish a naval base at Cam Ranh Bay. (8)

A. Soviet technicians have assisted the Vietnamese in
improving their port facilities and in training
naval personnel, but we have seen no evidence to
date of a Soviet naval presence in Vietnam. (S)

B. While Soviet freighters continue to offload cargo
at several Vietnamese ports, no Soviet warship has
visited Cam Ranh Bay or for that matter any other
Vietnamese naval facility. .(S)

C. The Vietnamese use a small part of Cam Ranh Bay as

"a naval training school. Other facilities at the
base are Beinn: aesneutied: These. photographs show
that many of the buildings at the base are being
torn down, and we see no sign of heavy equipment

being installed to service large naval ships. (TSR)

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II. In Signing the Peace and Friendship Treaty on

3 November, the Vietnamese clearly moved closer

to the Soviet Union. During the past two months,

we have observed a substantial increase in Soviet

economic and military assistance to Vietnam. We

expect both to increase as the year goes on, (8S)

A. In late November, Soviet cargo ships called at
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and offloaded two
Zhuk-class coastal patrol craft, and early last
noath, the Soviets delivered two Petje e lade’.
frigates to the Vietnamese, (S)

B, This is a recent photaeeaen of the two peryae
at the Da Nang naval base. The Vietnamese have
been training on the ships off the coast near
Da Nang. (TSR)

ItT. In the South China Sea, the Vietnamese are tightening
their hold on the seven islands that they now occupy
in the Spratlys. The Vietnamese have placed small
troop garrisons on each of those islands and placed
field artillery and antiaircraft gun positions on
each island.

A. As shown on this recent photograph of Spratly

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Island, the Vietnamese have built a small air-
field and numerous gun emplacements. ihe Vie sieueae
recently moved a helicopter gunship to the island.
Vietnamese transports occasionally fly reconnaissance
missions over the Spratlys, but we have not yet seen
them use the airfield. (TSR)
.IV. In Kampuchea, a massive Vietnamese invasion by some
| 15 divisions supported by air, tank, and artillery
units has succeeded in gaining control over wiptuaiyy
all of the population centers, including the capital
of Phnom Penh. We are seeing increasing signs that the
remaining Kampuchean forces are putting up stiff re-
sistance in several sectors of the country. Moreover,
the Vietnamese evidently overextended themselves and are
now experiencing some serious logistic problems. (8S)
A. These are recent photographs showing Vietnamese
tanks and other heavy equipment in down town Phnom

Penh. (TSR)

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