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 APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R00200090020-4

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these beaches are composed of sand, are over 1 mile in length, have moderate to mild gradients, and are backed by dunes and level to rolling plains. Exits inland are by streets, hard- and loose-surfaced roads, tracks, trails, and by cross-country movement.

The amphibious landing areas shown on Figures 10 and 9 provide direct access to the South Coastal strategic area and to routes leading to other parts of the country. Data on the amphibious landing areas are presented in Figure 13.

3. Air (U/OU)

Air approaches to Sweden from the north and west are across the mountains of Norway, the Norwegian and North Seas, the Kattegat and Skagerrak, and the level to rolling plains of Denmark. Many peaks in Norway are over 5,000 feet in height, the highest is 8,140 feet above sea level and is in south-central Norway about 110 nautical miles west of the Swedish border.

Approaches from the south are over the Baltic Sea and the flat to rolling plains of northern East and West Germany, and Poland. There are no topographic hazards to flying; the maximum elevation is 1,079 feet in northern Poland.

Approaches from the east are over the northern part of the Baltic Sea, the Gulf of Bothnia, and the flat to rolling plains, hills, and low mountains of Finland and the U.S.S.R. Most elevations are less than 1,650 feet; however, there are several peaks between 2,000 and 4,000 feet in height in northern Finland and the U.S.S.R., about 200 nautical miles from the Swedish border.

All approaches are subject to a constant succession of migratory low-pressure centers and their associated frontal systems throughout the year. These storms are the primary contributing factor to poor weather conditions. Although they may occur in any month of the year, they attain maximum frequency and intensity in the period November through March. These storms are often accompanied by extensive and thick cloud layers in which icing conditions are usually present, especially in winter (December through February); low ceilings and poor visibilities are also prevalent. Moderate to severe turbulence is often present along the frontal zones. As the frequency of storms decreases, the general weather conditions improve throughout all approaches during summer (June through August), making this the most favorable period for flying, especially in the south and east approaches.

Cloudiness is fairly extensive in all approaches throughout the year. It reaches a maximum in November through March, when average cloud amounts range between 65% and 80%; during the remaining months, averages range mostly between 50% and 65%. Thunderstorms are infrequent in all seasons in the approaches over water; they occur more often, however, over land, principally during the period May through September, when they occur on 6 days or less per months. The freezing level in all approaches is near or at the surface in winter, and icing conditions are frequently present in the low and intermediate cloud layers. The likelihood of icing conditions decreases in summer, when the mean height of the freezing level ranges from about 6,000 feet in the north to near 10,000 feet in the south. Upper winds are predominantly westerly throughout the year in all approaches, and average speeds are generally less than 50 knots. During winter, however, wind speeds in the north may occasionally exceed 50 knots above 30,000 feet.

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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R00200090020-4