Zapad-81 West-81 Largest Military Exercise by the Soviet Union

Exercise Zapad-81 (West-81) was the largest military exercise ever to be carried out by the Soviet Union, according to NATO and US sources. It was conducted from September 4, 1981 and lasted approximately 8 days. It was a joint operation including elements from all Soviet service branches and introduced several new “complexes“ such as the RSD-10 medium-range strategic missile (known often to the West as the SS-20 Saber) and the “Kiev“ Project 1143 aircraft carrier.