Yup they relied on bombers and subs with anti-ship missiles to take out the US fleet as they knew their own surface fleet wouldn't stand a snowballs chance against US carrier battle groups. Saturation attacks by bombers were the best way of neutralising American carrier power, as they went down the Chinese anti-carrier ballistic missile route in the 70's but soon realised bombers with anti-ship missiles were far better and cheaper to do the job. Forced the US Navy to be proactive about knocking them out by planing to send carriers through the GIUK gap into the Norwegian Sea and even Arctic waters in wartime.
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