ICBM LAUNCH COMPLEX PLESETSK, USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78B04560A000500010086-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 22
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 24, 2003
• Sequence Number: 86
• Publication Date: February 1, 1963
• Content Type: REPORT

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22 Pages
PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION REPORT
ICBM LAUNCH COMPLEX
ARMY
PLESETSK, USSR
DECLASS REVIEW by NIMA/DOD
NPIC/R-11/63
February 1963
NAVY
AIR FORCE
CIA
NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER
0
2 5 X
Approved For Release 20013%:)/OLiS:E&R-gFOA000500010086-9
PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION REPORT
ICBM LAUNCH COMPLEX
PLESETSK, USSR
NPIC/R-11/63
February 1963
NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER
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NPIC/R-11/63
PREFACE
This report was prepared under NPIC Project JN-79/62 in re-
sponse to CIA requirements DDI/RR/E/R-27/62, DD1/RR/E/R-35/62,
and DDI/R/E/R-283/62, and USAR requirement 62-17. /
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NM/R-11/63
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SUMMARY
Page
INI RODUCL1ON. 1
LAYOUT 01. CONIPLLX 2
Launch Points I and II
Launch Point 111 4
Launch Point IV 5
Launch Area A 7
Launch Area 13 8
Launch Area C 8
Launch Area D 8
Launch Area h 10
Complex Support l'acility 11
Rail-lo-Road transfer Point 11
Administrative and Housing Area 11
CONCLUSIONS 13
REt?LRENCLS 15
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Figure
1.
Figure
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Figure
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Figure
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Figure
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Figure
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Figure
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Figure
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NPIC/R-11/63
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Par,
Location of Plesetsk ICBM Launch Complex and
Layout of Facilities 2
Launch Points I and II 3
Launch Point III 4
Launch Point IV 6
Launch Area A 7
Launch Area B 8
Launch Area C 9
Launch Area D 9
Launch Area E 10
Figure 10. Complex Support Facility 12
Figure 11. Rail-To-Road Transfer Point 13
Figure 12. Administrative and Housing Area 14
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SUMMARY
The Plesetsk ICBM Launch Complex con-
sists of four rail-served launch points (I-IV),
five road-served launch areas (A-E), a com-
plex support facility, a rail-to-road transfer
point, and an administrative and housing area.
Launch Points I-IV, each with one pad,
are completed Type I facilities (see General
Guide to ICBM Site Configurations, Page 15)
similar to Complex B of the Tyura Tam Missile
Test Center (TTMTC). Their pad orientation
is on an azimuth of 330 degrees, ? 5 degrees.
Launch Areas A and B, also completed
and each containing two pads, are Type II
NPIC/R-11/63
facilities similar to Complex C of the TTMTC.
Area A has a Mod a configuration and Area
B, a Mod b configuration. The pads at both
areas are oriented on an azimuth of 330 degrees,
? 5 degrees.
Launch Area C is a Type III facility
similar to those at Complex D of the TTMTC.
Launch Areas D and E are Type IV
facilities in a middle stage of construction.
Complex E of the TTMTC is probably their
prototype. Pad orientation is on an azimuth
of 265 degrees, ? 5 degrees.
INTRODUCTION
The complex is located northeast of Ple-
setsk on the Vologda-Arkhangel'sk rail line.
Launch facilities extend about 18 nautical miles
(nm) along the south bank of the Yemtsa River
(Figure 1).
The topography of the general area of
the complex ranges from level to rolling for-
ested plains with numerous marshes, lakes,
and streams. The soil in the region is gen-
erally clayey and gravelly and contains lime-
stone rock formations. Surrounding forests
of spruce and pine have been extensively logged.
Cold winters and cool summers with
considerable precipitation prevail. The com-
plex is not in the permafrost zone.
The complex is served by a rail spur
from the double-tracked Vologda-Arkhangel'sk
rail line and by an adequate local road net-
work which links the launch complex to ad-
jacent towns and villages. Obozerskiy South-
east Airfield, probably supporting the ICBM
complex,
the north. First
is located approximately 25 nm to
identified on photography of
this newly con-
has an 8,400 foot
structed
primary
airfield
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The launch complex is defended by six
SA-2 SAM sites and two new-type SAM sites
collocated with the north and northeast SA-2
sites. A SAM support facility was identified
on photography of
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LAYOUT OF COMPLEX
The complex occupies an area of approx-
imately 215 square miles extending in a north-
east-southwest direction (I-igure I). It is
bounded on the west by the Vologda- ArkhangeP sk
rail line and on the northwest by the Yemtsa
River. 1_ he town of I'lesetsk is situated at
the southwest edge of the complex.
A rail spur leaves the main line at Pie-
setsk and runs through the complex in a north-
78604560A000500010086-9
eastern direction. About 3 nm from Plesetsk
a branch of this rail spur runs northwest
to the complex administrative and housing area.
About 10 nm from Plesetsk another branch--
an abandoned rail spur--runs north through
Launch Area E. About 16 nm from Plesetsk
the main rail spur branches out again. The
northwest spur runs through the complex support
facility, continuing on to Launch Points I and
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NAUTICAL MILES
FIGURE 1. LOCATION OF PLESETSK ICBM LAUNCH COMPLEX AND LAYOUT OF FACILITIES.
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PAD ORIENTATION APPROX 330?
1000 o 1000 2000
i....i
FEET (APPROXI
FIGURE 2. PLESETSK ICBM LAUNCH POINTS I AND II
II and Launch Point III. The southeast spur
terminates at a storage and transfer facility
near Launch Area D. A rail-to-road transfer
point--connected by road with Launch Area A,
Launch Area B, and Launch Area C--is located
about 19 nm from Plesetsk. The rail spur
from Plesetsk terminates at Launch Point IV,
where there is an underground storage facility.
LAUNCH POINTS I AND II
Launch Points I and II (Figure 2), .each
with one pad, are completed Type I facilities
located at 62-55N 40-27E and 62-55N 40-28E,
respectively, at the western end of the com-
plex. The launch pads and missile-ready,
building occupy an inverted L-shaped area lying
on a north"-south axis. The maximum width
of the area on the north side is 2,300 feet and
the maximum length on the east side is 5,000
feet. The area is-enclosed by a double security
fence.
3
The launch pads, 1,200 feet apart, are
concrete platforms- built- out from ?the escarp-
ment along the Yemtsa River. Pad dimensions
are 105 by 100 feet. -An object on each pad
is probably a missile gantry. An unidentified
building, 140 by 70 feet, lies slightly behind
and about midway between the pads. A missile-
ready building, 410 by 140 feet, lies 3,450.
feet south of the launch Pads. Two associated
buildings, each 70 by 30 feet, are located 425'
and 850 feet north of the missile-ready building.
Several other small, unidentified structures
are located within the secured area. A rail
spur enters the launch area at the south end,
runs north through the ready building to a point
1,050 feet south of the pads, where it forks.
From this point a spur continues to each pad.
A road providing access to other elements of
the launch complex enter 's the launch area on the,
east side, then parallels the rail spur connect-:
. _ .
ing the ready building and the launch pads.
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Outside the secured area is a probable
guidance facility and a launch support area.
The probable guidance facility, located 5,150
feet southeast of the pads, apparently consists
of two like elements each containing at least
three buildings. The largest building is ap-
proximately 145 by 45 feet, another is 85 by
50 feet, and the smallest is about 50 feet
square. A similar, single installation is located
behind each of the other two Type I facilities
within this launch complex. A perpendicular
to the axis of the probable guidance structure
through the launch pads indicates a probable
pad orientation of 330 degrees, ? 5 degrees.
The launch support area appears to be
primarily for housing, except for one rail spur
parallel to and outside of the east security
fence. This spur serves a possible small
heating plant and/or power plant. The launch
support area contains about 50 buildings, 30
of which are arranged in three quadrangles of
10 buildings each. Except for a few small
LAUNCH
POINT III
MISSILE-READY
BUM DING
PMENY
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SUPPORT
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PAD ORIENTATION APPROX 2ISCf
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structures, most of the buildings are about 130
by 35 feet.
A two-track rail siding is located on the
south side of the rail line leading to Launch
Points 1 and II. This siding branches off
about 0.5 nm before the line curves north
into the secured area. The siding contains
about 3,500 feet of track.
LAUNCH POINT III
Launch Point III (Figure 3) is also a
Type I launch facility with one launch pad. It
is located at 62-56N 40-32E on the south
bank of the Yemtsa River and about 2.2 nm
east-northeast of Launch Points I and II. The
area is enclosed by an irregular, double security
fence, 3,100 by 1,850 feet, with the long axis
generally north-south.
The single pad of concrete construction is
105 by 100 feet and is built over the escarp-
ment along the Yemtsa River. An object on
FIGURE 3. PLESETSK ICBM LAUNCH POINT III I
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the pad is probably a missile gantry. A missile-
ready building, 180 by 130 feet, is located
1,300 feet south of the pad. Two associated
buildings, each 70 by 30 feet, are located 200
and 400 feet north of the ready building. Several
other small, unidentified structures are located
within the secured area.
A rail spur enters the launch area at
the south end, runs north through the ready
building, and continues on to the launch pad.
A road providing access to all other elements
of the launch complex enters the area on the
east side.
A probable guidance facility is situated
3,950 feet southeast of the launch pad and con-
sists of four buildings: one is 145 by 45 feet,
the second is 85 by 50 feet, and the other two
are 50 feet square. A perpendicular to the
axis of the guidance structure through the launch
pad indicates a probable pad orientation of 330
degrees, ? 5 degrees.
A support area of at least 12 buildings
averaging 115 by 65 feet and a double-track
utility rail spur with about 3,000 feet of track
are adjacent to the launch area on the east
side. The spur serves a possible heating and/
or power plant. A second support area (not
shown on Figure 3), 3,000 by 950 feet and en-
closed by a fence, is situated 8,000 feet south-
east of the launch area. It contains 30 small
miscellaneous buildings which may be either
quarters or storage units. This support area
is connected with the launch area by rail and
road.
LAUNCH POINT IV
Launch Point IV (Figure 4 ) is also a
Type I launch facility with one launch pad
It is located at 62-57N 40-41E on the southeast
bank of a tributary of the Yemtsa River and
4.1 nm east-northeast of Launch Point III. The
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launch area forms an irregular rectangle, 2,600
by 1,300 feet, lying on a northwest-southeast
axis and is enclosed by a double security fence.
The single launch pad, of concrete con-
struction, is 150 feet square and overhangs
a ravine of a tributary of the Yemtsa River. An
object, 50 feet wide, on the pad is probably
a missile gantry. Five small, unidentified
structures are located within the secured area.
The rail spur from Plesetsk terminates
at the launch pad. At a point 4,000 feet southeast
of the pad, a rail spur branches out to the north
and proceeds to a missile-ready building, 215
by 130 feet, which is situated at the shallow
end of a gully. This ready building has the
usual two associated buildings, 70 by 30 feet,
located 250 and 500 feet to the south, but is
unique in being the only ready building in the
launch complex which has been found outside a
secured launch area. This unique feature is
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