Kremlin says its subs match US in missiles

In response to what it calls US ''atomic blackmail,'' the Soviet Union has developed a strategic submarine missile system that guarantees Moscow's ability to retaliate if attacked, the chief of the Russian Navy said.

In a Pravda article Adm. Sergei Gorshkov said the United States for years has rejected Soviet offers to curtail naval development. He did not describe in detail recent additions to the Soviet fleet, but said they were similar to the US force, which he noted included 40 submarines armed with 656 missiles carrying more than 1,500 warheads. He said some US missiles had a range of up to 5,000 miles.