War Games

As they do every year at this time, the NATO and Warsaw Pact powers last week were playing war games in Europe. Fully 100,000 troops engaged in a giant maneuver called Shield '72, which presupposed a lunge from the West and a Communist counterattack. Mean while, NATO assembled 64,000 men, 300 warships and 700 aircraft off the coast of Europe, from Portugal to Norway, for its own games, dubbed Strong Express. Their purpose was to demonstrate NATO's efficiency in coming to the aid of an ally invaded by Communist troops.

Both sides could also read political meaning into the games. The Warsaw Pact exercise was held in Czechoslovakia, which was invaded by the Soviets in 1968; if anyone had any doubts, Shield '72 made the point that the Soviets were prepared to do the same again if a satellite got out of line. NATO'S exercise could reassure the Norwegians that they can vote in favor of joining the Common Market during their referendum this month, despite the disapproval of the Soviet Union, whose navy is beginning to dominate the sea approaches to Norway. Or, read another way, both sides were flexing their muscles before settling down to discuss the practicalities of detente: a European Security Conference, and mutual and balanced reduction of forces.

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