es

The ground forces are commonly referred to as the army, although the
Romanian People's Army comprises all of the regular armed forces
administered by the Ministry of the Armed Forces. The ground forces
proper have two tank and seven motorized-rifle divisions and a few other
smaller combat units, including mountain, airborne, and artillery
outfits of varying sizes. Combat units are thought to be kept at about
90 percent of their full authorized strengths. Most of the support
agencies that provide services needed by all service organizations are
manned by ground force personnel. Strength of the ground forces in 1972
was estimated at between 130,000 and 170,000.

Divisions are organized on the same pattern as those in the other Warsaw
Pact countries. Tank divisions have one artillery, one motorized-rifle,
and three tank regiments. Motorized-rifle divisions have one tank, one
artillery, and three motorized-rifle regiments.

The division is the basic combat unit, and all of them have their own
essential service and support outfits. They are, however, subordinate to
corps headquarters of the military regions rather than directly to the
Ministry of the Armed Forces.

Air and Air Defense Forces

The commander of the air and air defense forces occupies a position
parallel to that of the commanders of the military districts and the
naval and frontier forces. His immediate superior is the minister of the
armed forces. His tactical units include about twenty fighter-bomber and
fighter-interceptor squadrons and a squadron each of transports,
reconnaissance aircraft, and helicopters. These units have a total of
about 250 aircraft; there are about the same number of trainers and
light utility planes.

Of the combat aircraft, MiG-17s would be used in the ground support
role; MiG-19s and MiG-21s are interceptors that would be used in
air-to-air combat. The reconnaissance squadron has Il-28 twin jet-engine
light bombers. These airplanes are obsolescent, if not obsolete, and
their crews are trained for reconnaissance only. A limited transport
capability is provided by about a dozen twin-engine, piston-type
transports. They are old and slow but are adequate for the
short-distance work required of them. The helicopter squadron is
equipped for air evacuation, for delivery of supplies to inaccessible
areas, and for short-range reconnaissance.

Interceptor squadrons are presumably integrated into the Warsaw Pact air
defense netw