Operation Steel Wind

Operation Steel Wind (Stal'noy veter) was a Warsaw Pact operation which began in December 1989.

Planning:
Operation Steel Wind was to be the Northern flank of the overall Warsaw Pact offensive into Western Europe that was to begin in December 1989. The main objectives of the operation was to islolate and capture Hamburg, strike into Denmark and support the Northern flank of the Central German Front. When the plans were initially drawn up Soviet planners expected little resistance however, as 0 hour approached it became clear NATO forces in the area were relatively well prepared however, no effort was made to adjust the plan as Soviet planners were too inflexibile initially.

The Operation would include one of three major Airborne operations which would characterise the start of the war, the others being the Invasion of Iceland and the Invasion of Hokkaido Island. In Operation Steel Wind it was planned for Airborne forces to seize crossings over the Kiel Canal.