PODOLSK/ROMANTSEVO DF RADIO COMMUNICATIONS COMPLEX USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78T05162A000200010038-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2011
• Sequence Number: 38
• Publication Date: December 1, 1971
• Content Type: REPORT

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NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC
INTERPRETATION CENTER
PHOTOGRAPHIC
INTERPRETATION
REPORT
PODOLSK/ROMANTSEVO DF RADIO
COMMUNICATIONS COMPLEX
USSR
-TUP'S?ERs-
GROUP I: EXCLUDED FROM
AUTOMATIC DOWNGRADING
AND DECLASSIFICATION
DECEMBER 1971
COPY NO 123
9 PAGES
PIR-052/71
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Podolsk/Roma
UTM COORDINATES
NA
ntsevo DF Radio Communications Complex
GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATES
55-17-11N 037-33-11E*
CATEGORY
See below
BE NO.
See below
COMIREX NO.
See below
ACIC. US Air Target Chart, Series 200, Sheet 0167-5, scale 1:200,000
NEGATION DATE (If required)
NA
Podolsk Installation
DF Radio Communications
Station Romantsevo *
HF Communications Facil-
ity Romantsevo
Probable Direction Finding
Facility
Ionospheric Station
Romantsevo
ABSTRACT
1. The Podolsk/Romantsevo DF Radio Communications Complex consists of four
facilities and a headquarters and support area. The Podolsk DF Radio Communications
Station Romantsevo is an operational transmitting station. Antennas include four pairs of
double day/night rhombics, 13 double rhombics, four single rhombics, nine fishbones, and
five horizontal dipoles. The Podolsk HF Communications Facility Romantsevo is an
operational receiving station. Antennas consist of 34 fishbones, one double rhombic, and
three single rhombics. The Podolsk Probable Direction Finding Facility is a probable
operational station. The Podolsk Ionospheric Station Romantsevo is an operational station.
This report includes a description of the antennas. Annotated photographs and tables
containing mensuration, azimuth, and reference data are included in support of the
analysis.
INTRODUCTION
2. The Podolsk/Romantsevo Radio Communications Complex is in the central part of
European USSR, 8 nautical miles (nm) south of the city of Podolsk and 30 nm south of the
center of Moscow. It is situated in a wooded area, surrounded by farmland and towns. Its
elevation is approximately 184 meters (600 feet).
3. This communications complex was first reported from KEYHOLE photo ra h o
June 1963.
BASIC DESCRIPTION
4. The Podolsk/Romantsevo Radio Communications Complex includes a major
transmitting and a major receiving station. The transmitting station contains four pairs of
double day/night rhombic (two pair nested), 13 double rhombic, four single rhombic, nine
fishbone, and five horizontal dipole antennas (Figure 1 and Table 1). A control building is
in the center of the antenna arrays. Two support buildings lie to the south of the control
building. The receiving station contains 34 fishbone, one double rhombic, and three single
rhombic antennas (Figure 2 and Table 2a). Thirty of the fishbone antennas are arranged in
a complete circular pattern around a large control building and a secondary control
building. Other facilities in this complex are the Podolsk Probable Direction Finding
Facility and the Podolsk Ionospheric Station Romantsevo (Figure 2). The probable
UR
See below
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headquarters and support area for the complex is immediately north of these facilities. This
area contains 14 large buildings, 29 small buildings, and numerous smaller structures
(Figure 3 and Table 3). No microwave facilities were identified at any of the installations.
Podolsk DF Radio Communications Station Romantsevo
5. This facility, 8.5 nm south of Podolsk at 55-17-11N 037-33-11E, is a major
transmitting station. The antenna arrays are arranged in an inner and an outer ring. The
inner ring consists of seven fishbone (2-2-2-2 or BS-2) receiving antennas (Figure 1 and
Table 1, items 1 through 7) and five horizontal dipole antennas (items 10 through 14). The
predominant azimuths of the fishbone antennas face the northern and southern quadrants.
The outer ring consists of two pairs of double day/night rhombic arrays (items 28, 29, 34,
and 35), two pairs of nested double day/night rhombics (items 16, 17, 20, and 21), 13 double
rhombics (items 15, 18, 19, 22, 24-26, 30-33, 37, and 39), four single rhombics (items 23, 27,
36, and 38), and two fishbone (2-2-2-2-2-2-2 or 3BS-2) receiving antennas (items 8 and 9).
The predominant azimuths of the rhombics cover the eastern and western quadrants.
Based on the extreme difference in heights of side poles and end poles, eight of the double
rhombics are probably double bent rhombics. A side pole is missing that would normally be
common to a double rhombic (item 15) and two nested double rhombics (items 16 and 17);
therefore, these antennas are assumed to be inoperative, and no frequency range is given for
them in Table 1.
6. The control building lies in the center of the antenna field. Two other buildings,
probably for operational support, lie to the south between the inner and outer rings. The
probable administration and housing area for this activity is 1.8 nm to the nort
(Continued heast. p. 8)
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Table 2a. Antenna Arrays at Podolsk HF Communications Facility Romantsevo
(Item numbers are keyed to Figure 2)
Soviet
Designator
1 Fishbone
2BS-2
2 Fishbone
BS-2
3 Fishbone
3BS-2
4 Fishbone
2BS-2
5 Fishbone
3BS-2
6 Fishbone
3BS-2
7 Fishbone
2BS-2
8 Fishbone
2BS-2
9 Fishbone
2BS-2
10 Fishbone
3BS-2
11 Fishbone
3BS-2
12 Fishbone
BS-2
13 Fishbone
BS-2
14 Fishbone
BS-2
15* Fishbone
BS-2
16 Fishbone
2BS-2
17 Fishbone
BS-2
18 Fishbone
3BS-2
19 Fishbone
2BS-2
20 Fishbone
3BS-2
21 Fishbone
3BS-2
22 Fishbone
2BS-2
23 Fishbone
2BS-2
24 Fishbone
2BS-2
25 Fishbone
3BS-2
26 Fishbone
3BS-2
27 Fishbone
BS-2
28 Fishbone
BS-2
29 Fishbone
BS-2
30 Fishbone
BS-2
31 Double rhombic
RGD701.25**
Fishbone
Fishbone
Fishbone
Fishbone
Single rhombic
6
RG701.25**
6
RG701.25**
6
BS-2
BS-2
BS-2
BS-2
RG--
*Masts not discernible.
**Designator approximated by length of leg and width of antenna.
Table 2b. Control and Support Buildings at Podolsk/Romantsevo HF Communications
Receiving Station and Probable DF Facility (Item letters are keyed to Figure 2)
Control bldg,
prob of fac
Section a
Section b
HF secondary
control bldg
Section a
Section b
Section c
HF main control
bldg
Support bldg
Support bldg
Support bldg
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Table 3. Buildings in the Probable Headquarters and Support Area, Podolsk/Roman tsevo
DF Radio Communications Complex (Item numbers are keyed to Figure 3)
1-2 Apartments/quarters
3 Hqs, admin, opns bldg
Section A
Section B
Section C
Section D
Section E
Section F
4 Apartments/quarters
5 Support bldg
6 Support bldg
7 Support bldg
8 Quarters/barracks
9 Apartments/quarters
10 Prob gymnasium
11 Prob operations/support
12 Support bldg
Section A (2-story)
Section B (1-story)
13 Apartments/quarters
14 Prob heating/power plant
15 Support bldg
16 Prob hqs, admin, opns bldg
Section A
Section B
Section C
Section D
Section E (1-story alcove)
17 Prob opns support (2-story)
18 Garage/shed
19 Garage/shed
20 Garage/shed
21 Support bldg
OFFICER HOUSING AREA
22 Officer housing (1-story)
23-26 Officer housing (1-story)
27-34 Officer housing
35 Poss sr officer housing
36-38 Officer housing (1-story)
39 Prob school
40 Prob recreation/school
Section A
Section B
Section C
41 Prob gym/recreation hall
Section A (1-story)
Section B (1-story)
42 Prob bathhouse (adjacent pool)
Section A (1-story)
Section B (1-story)
43 Housing support bldg
Three one-family dwellings
and many out bldgs and sheds
also in the officer housing
area
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Podolsk HF Communications Facility Romantsevo
7. This facility is a major high frequency receiving station (Figure 2 and Tables 2a and
2b). It is 1.5 nm northeast of the Podolsk DF Radio Communications Station Romantsevo
at 55-18-11N 037-35-11E. The facility contains 38 antennas consisting of 34 fishbone, one
double rhombic, and three single rhombic arrays (items 1-38). Approximately 16 small
clearings in the trees beyond the fishbone ring may contain additional antennas, but no
masts were observed. Feed lines to nearly all the antenna locations were identifiable. The
fishbone arrays include ten 2-2-2 or BS-2, ten 2-2-2-2-2 or 2BS-2, ten 2-2-2-2-2-2-2 or 3BS-2,
and four 5-3-3-5 or BS-2 antennas. A large control building (item C) is in the center of the
installation, and a secondary control building (item B) lies to the north. Three probable
support buildings (items D, E, and F) are near the main control building. Thirty fishbone
antennas (items 1-30) form a nearly circular pattern around the control area and are
covering the full 360 degrees.
Podolsk Probable Direction Finding Facility
8. This facility, immediately west of Podolsk HF Communications Facility
Romantsevo at 55-18-1ON 037-33-50E, consists of a central control building with eight
radiating feed lines (Figure 2). These feed lines go to eight circular clearings which lie at 45-
degree intervals from the control building. The approximate distance between the control
building and each clearing is 520 meters (1,700 feet). Small circular clearings roughly 45
meters (150 feet) in diameter are at azimuths of 0, 90, 180, and 270 degrees. Large circular
clearings roughly 180 to 210 meters (700 to 800 feet) in diameter are at azimuths of 45, 135,
225, and 315 degrees. Two small masts were observable in the 315-degree clearing, and one
each was faintly visible in the 90-, 135-, 180-, and 225-degree clearings. Brush, trees, other
vegetation, and shadows precluded further identification of masts. An above-ground cable
line runs between the control building (item A, Figure 2) and the Podolsk HF
Communications Facility Romantsevo control building (item C) 0.75 nm to the east.
Podolsk Ionospheric Station Romantsevo
9. This facility is immediately north of the probable DF facility and west of the
headquarters and support area at 55-18-30N 037-34-15E. It consists of a pair of Type I Q
ionospheric scatter antennas
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(Figures 2 and 3). This azimuth is toward the Kola Peninsula, the only other 25X1
known location of Type I ionospheric scatter antennas. The antennas on the Kola Peninsula
are near Murmansk at 69-01-30N 032-58-OOE, and they face Moscow and Podolsk.
Probable Headquarters and Support Facilities
10. The probable headquarters and support facilities for the DF radio
communications complex are immediately northeast of the Podolsk Probable Direction
Finding Facility at 55-18-40N 037-34-45E (Figure 3 and Table 3). The complex consists of
two major areas. One of these areas contains headquarters and operations buildings and
enlisted personnel or worker housing. The other area contains officer housing. The
headquarters area contains 14 large buildings, seven small buildings, and an athletic field.
Two of the major structures (items 3 and 16) are headquarters-, administration-, and
operations-type buildings. Housing in the headquarters area includes five multistory
apartment-type buildings and one two-story barracks-type building. The officer housing
area contains 20 one-story housing units (17 multifamily and three single family), a
probable school, a probable combination recreation hall and school, a probable gymnasium
and recreation hall, a probable bathhouse and an adjacent swimming pool, an athletic
field, and a support building (items 1 through 43, Figure 3 and Table 3).
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MAPS OR CHARTS
ACIC. US Air Target Chart, Series 200, Sheet 0167-5, scale 1:200,000
RELATED DOCUMENTS
NPIC. PIR-037/70, Eight-Arm Radial Probable Direction Finding Facilities, USSR, Jun 70 (TOP
SECRET RUFF)
USSR. Committee of Standards, Measurements, and Instruments, The USSR Council of Minister, Gost 8025-67,
Transmitting Shortwave Wideband Balanced Antennas (Counterfeed), Moscow, 1967 (UNCLASSIFIED)
USSR. Committee of Standards, Measurements, and Instruments, The USSR Council of Ministers, Gost 6497-67,
Receiving Shortwave Wideband Balanced Antennas (Counterfeed), Moscow, 1967 (UNCLASSIFIED)
RCA Service Company. Contract F 33657-69-C-0010, 31 Dec 68, Soviet Antennas, A Contribution to the DIA
Communications Equipment Handbook, (SECRET
NPIC/IEG/WGD/SSB Project 251248
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LJ/~ I
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