The young naval analyst continues.

After leaving the Navy he worked as a naval analyst for defense consulting firms in the Washington, D.C. area.

Few naval officers - and even fewer naval analysts - took the idea seriously.

Norman Friedman, P.h.D., is an American author and naval analyst.

"What's frightening is not how good the Soviets are today," said Norman Polmar, a naval analyst and author, "but how quickly they are improving."

One reason, naval analysts and intelligence officials said this week, is to better understand just how crippled the former Soviet Navy has become.

Norman Polmar, a leading American naval analyst, said the submarines were nearly 30 years old and thus approaching the end of their useful life.

The operational capability of the Luhu-class Destroyers has been called into question by naval analysts.

Yet to many experienced naval analysts and officers, the admiral is a disappointment.

But two years ago Mr. Morison, a former civilian naval analyst, was convicted under national espionage laws of disclosing classified documents to the press.