PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF BLACK SHIELD MISSION 6847 OVER NORTH KOREA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70B00338R000300160016-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 21, 2006
• Sequence Number: 16
• Publication Date: January 29, 1968
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2006/06/21: CIA-RDP70B00338R000300160016-1
SECRET
No. 0632/68
29 January 1968
SUBJECT: Preliminary Assessment of BLACK SHIELD
Mission 6847 over North Korea
Summary
BLACK SHIELD Mission 6847, flown over North
Korea on 26 January 1968, obtained photography of
the entire southern half of the country. Photo-
graphic quality was good, and 90 percent of the
area covered was cloud free.
The mission obtained good baseline coverage
of most of North Korea's armed forces as well as
large portions of the transportation system and
industrial base. Air force and naval bases---except
those in the northern part--were well covered.
There were no unusual air or naval deployments,
but some new equipment and a new base for Komar--
missile patrol boats were identified.
Good coverage was obtained of both North Korean
and ROK military forces and activity along the DMZ.
No North Korean ground forces build-up was observed
in or near the DMZ. The North Korean surface-to-
air missile defenses appear to be in a high state
of readiness. The USS Pueblo was anchored in an
inlet in Wonsan Bay, attended by two North Korean
patrol boats and guarded by three Komars.
Note: This memorandum was prepared by the Directorate
of Intelligence,
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MORUCIDIF
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USS Pueblo
1. The Pueblo is at an offshore anchorage in
a small, isolated bay north of Wonsan with two North
Korean patrol boats anchored alongside. No damage
to the Pueblo is discernible. There is no evidence
of activity around the Pueblo, with the exception
of the two patrol boats.
Ground Forces
2. Ground force activity along the DMZ and
northward as far as the center of the country looked
normal, and no major concentrations of forces
significant movements were s
This coverage will provide a goo asis
a ion of future construction activities
and deployments.
3. Along the ROK side of the DMZ there was
more evidence of vehicle movements and equipment
concentrations, in contrast to the highly
fairly static
on the North Ruxuan .
Air Forces
4. Eight of the most important of the 15 North
Korean military' airfields were covered by this mission
and aircraft dispositions were in accord with pre-
vious estimates. The number of fighter aircraft
seen was in some instances below the present order
of battle,
5. At Pukchang-ni Airfield, where most new
fighter aircraft are delivered from the USSR, 51
fuselage shipping crates--probably for the MIG-17
Fresco--were seen. If these crates were delivered
recently, their delivery would add a new dimension
to the current aircraft procurement program of
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North Korea, which has been re-equipping with the
more advanced MIG-21/Fishbed supplied by the USSR.
There has been no evidence of an emergency delivery
since the current crisis began.
6. The main IL-28 jet light bomber base at
Uiju near the Chinese border was not covered, but
there is no evidence that any of these aircraft have
deployed toward the DMZ. The normal complement of
IL-28s was seen at Sunan near Pyongyang, the other
IL-28 base.
Naval Activity
7. About half of North Korea's naval force
was seen by this mission. No unusual vessel de-
ployments or build-ups were seen along the southern
half of the east and west coasts.
8. Seven of North Korea's eight Komar guided-
missile patrol boats were in their normal operating
area near Wonsan, three of them apparently guarding
the small bay where Pueblo is anchored.
9. A new support base for the Komar squadron
and its Styx missiles was identified on a peninsula
in the Wonsan area. The base consists of a mis-
sile support facility, docking areas for the boats,
As many as 30 Styx mis-
sile crates can be seen in the missile support area.
10. The mission provided no major changes
to the naval order-of-battle in the areas covered,
with the exception of the presence of two Shershen-
class torpedo boats in the Wonsan area. The Sher-
shen is the most modern Soviet torpedo boat, and
these vessels were probably supplied by the USSR as
part of its military aid program to North Korea.
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11. The four W-class torpedo attack submarines
in the North Korean Navy were not seen.
Railway and Road Activity
12. Examination of major roads and railways
from the DMZ northward discloses no evidence of
unusual movements or major troop or supply build-ups.
Immediately north of the DMZ no unusual truck con-
voys were on the major roads and the level of ac-
tivity in the rail yards at the southern termini
of the lines was normal.
13. Further to the north, in the industrialized
portions of North Korea, more road and rail activity
was observed. The amount of rail activity on the
main lines and in the principal rail yards is con-
sidered normal, however, and is probably serving
routine economic and industrial needs. Road traf-
fic also appears to be at normal levels. No un-
usual rail or road activity was evident in the Won-
san area.
Surface-to-Air Missile Defenses
14. The North Korean surface-to-air missile
(SAM) sites are probably completely operational and
appear to be in a high state of readiness. Thirteen
of the 14 known sites were covered, and equipment
was observed at all sites. One to three missiles
were on launchers at all but one of the sites, and
roads were clear of snow. No new sites have been
detected so far. The SAM support area at Pyongyang
was also covered, but no unusual activity was noted.
Coastal Defense Cruise missiles
15. The known Samlet coastal defense cruise
missile site at Nampo on the west coast was covered
and some vehicles were observed.
Across the bay on the northern side a pos-
se e cruise missile site was newly identified.
Past photography shows that this site has been there
I
sE~XE4 ~
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and no equipment has been observed, sug-
gesting that it is inactive. No other coastal de-
fense cruise missile sites have been identified in
Industry and Transportation
16. Extensive coverage was obtained of North
Korea's major industrial complexes and major
transportation networks--road, rail, and water--in
the southern half of the country. All the indus-
trial complexes examined were active, but there
is no unusual activity. North Korea's major petro-
leum storage facilities were not covered by this
mission, but the smaller sites in the southern part
of the country show no evidence of recent expansion
or unusual activity. None of the five North Korean
merchant ships can be identified in the ports cov-
ered.
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