BORDER SECURITY ACTIVITY, INNER MONGOLIA AUTONOMOUS REGION, CHINA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78T05162A000400010068-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 14, 2011
• Sequence Number: 68
• Publication Date: February 1, 1975
• Content Type: REPORT

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NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC
INTERPRETATION CENTER
PHOTOGRAPHIC
INTERPRETATION
REPORT
BORDER SECURITY ACTIVITY, INNER
MONGOLIA AUTONOMOUS REGION,
CHINA
FEBRUARY 1975
Copy
PI R-002/75
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Warning Notice
Sensitive Intelligence Sources and Methods Involved
NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION
Unauthorized Disclosure Subject to Criminal Sanctions
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Top Secret R U F F
1. Border security activity in the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region of the Peking Military
Region has increased significantly over the past two- and one-half years. Improved border security
posts, major unit support bases, and underground communications cables have been constructed.
2. This report includes a table, a map, three photographs, and textual information depicting
the current status of this activity.
3. Inner Mongolia forms the northern border of the Peking Military Region, north-central China.
Border security activity designed to provide early warning of an enemy ground attack from the north
has increased in Inner Mongolia since early 1972. In the last two and one-half years the number
of border security posts has increased from 19 to 39. The outposts constructed prior to 1972 have
recently been upgraded to permanent facilities. Three major unit support bases have also been
established near the border. Probable underground communications cable connects all three support
bases with outposts near the border. This is the first observation of a major effort to connect border
security outposts along the Sino-Soviet border with underground communications cable. Additionally,
armored personnel carriers have been moved to within 30 nautical miles (nm) of the border at two
locations. This combination of events greatly increases the Chinese early-warning capability across
Inner Mongolia, one of the major avenues of approach to the Chinese capital and major industrial
centers.
4. Thirty-nine border security posts have been identified in Inner Mongolia along the border
between China and the Republic of Mongolia (Table 1, Figure 1). Twenty of the outposts have
been newly identified since February 1972. All of the new outposts have permanent buildings as
opposed to tents which were frequently observed at the early established outposts. The support areas
of all but two of the earlier established outposts have also been improved and now contain permanent
buildings.
5. The border security posts are from 500 feet to 15 nm from the border. Each outpost
is occupied by a squad/platoon-sized unit and consists of an observation area and a support area
(Figure 2). The observation area is normally on high terrain and consists of an observation tower,
post, or bunker surrounded by personnel trenches and small-arms firing positions. The support area
normally consists of one or two barracks, a messhall/administration building, and one to four support
buildings.
6. Three army barracks were constructed near the border to support the increased number
of border security posts. Saytar Bugay Army Barracks AL 1, Pang-pei Army Barracks Southeast AL
1, and Pa-kou Army Barracks AL 1 were established as major unit border security support bases
(Figure 1). Since Saytar Bugay was identified in early 1972, additional barracks, storage buildings,
and an underground cable communications facility have been constructed (Figure 3). The installation
is now occupied by a probable border security battalion. In late 1972, four M-1967 armored personnel
carriers were identified at the facility. Construction on the Pang-pei barracks area began in early
1973. The barracks area has not been occupied by tactical forces to date. However, the installation
will be the largest of the border security support bases and will be capable of housing at least a
regiment-sized unit (Figure 4). The third support base, Pa-kou barracks, was identified in 1970.
Construction of additional barracks in late 1972 and 1973 increased the size of the installation to
a regimental barracks area. Three Chinese armored personnel carriers were first identified at the
installation in October 1973.
7. Construction of underground cable communications between the border security posts in
Inner Mongolia has been under way since 1972. To date, 410 nm of probable buried cable and
33 miles of cable trench construction have been identified. In most cases the cable is used to connect
two or more border security posts into a single net. However, all three support bases are connected
by cable to the nearby outposts, and in northeastern Inner Mongolia an outpost is connected by
cable to a town approximately 50 nm from the border.
Top Secret
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