Afghans Down Soviet Plane Daily--U.S.

Afghan resistance forces, said to be using sophisticated U.S. Stinger missiles, have been shooting down an average of one Soviet plane or helicopter a day for the last three months, a high-ranking State Department policy-maker said today.

Robert Peck, deputy assistant secretary of state for Near East affairs, released the department’s annual report on the seven-year war. He said the Soviets have been experiencing “an unprecedented rate of aircraft losses, a significant increase over any comparable figure in the history of the war.”

He called it an important development and said it has caused the Soviets to change their combat tactics. They are now flying higher bombing runs and are avoiding places they know are strongholds of guerrilla anti-aircraft weapons, he said.

In addition, the Soviets and Afghans together have lost nearly 1,000 aircraft since 1979, mostly helicopters, the report said, adding, “Aircraft losses increased in the latter part of the year.”