RADIO RELAY AND BROADCAST STATIONS AT LAPICHI, RAZDOLNOYE, AND ULYANOVKA, USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78T05439A000300140060-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 16
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 30, 2002
• Sequence Number: 60
• Publication Date: January 1, 1964
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2003/01/17 : CIA-RDP78TO5439A000300140060-1
Next 1 Page(s) In Document Exempt
Approved For Release 2003/01/17 : CIA-RDP78TO5439A000300140060-1
 COPY - NPIC/R-6O/64
16 Pages January 1964
PHOTOGR IPHIC INTERPRETATION REPORT
0 RELAY AND BROADCAST STATIONS
AT LAPICHI, RAZDOLNOYE,
AND U LYANOVKA, USSR
DECLASS REVIEW BY NIMA/DOD
oll
 TOP SECRET
PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION REPORT
RADIO RELAY AND BROADCAST STATIONS
AT LAPICH I, RAZDOLNOYE,
AND ULYANOVKA, USSR
N P I C/R- 60/64
January 1964
NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER
TOP SECRET
 TOP SECRET
This report has been prepared in answer to requirement DIA-API-
63-87 which requested information on an electronics site at Lapichi
where a linear array had been observed. Two additional sites having
similar arrays are also covered, and some background information based
on a similar experimental array in the US is provided in an Appendix.
TOP SECRET
 TOP SECRET
I
Linear arrays of the Lapichi type represent
an apparently successful Soviet attempt to im-
prove high-frequency propagation by reducing
the effects of multipath and interference.
Although such an array was first noted at
Lapichi on photography ofi la review of
earlier photography indicates that two similar
arrays had been completed near Razdolnoye as
25X1 D
radiators was revealed on photogra-
phy ofiIwhen one c eare circular area
and one cleared semicircular area were ob-
Linear arrays have be-n erected at antenna
farms near Lapichi, Razdolnoye, and Ulyanovka,
USSR (Figure 8). At Lapichi and Ulyanovka,
typical medium-wave vertical radiators were
25X1 D also under construction in A brief
chronology of significant construction at the
three antenna farms precedes more detailed
physical descriptions.
Lapichi Antenna Farm was first observed
25X1 D on hotography ofitvhich
time only the linear array was apparent. Pole
foundations were evident; however, the poles
themselves were not discernible. Control build-
ings were complete, but there was construction
activity in adjacent areas.
The first evidence of two probable vertical
25X1 D
25X1 D served. By
nearing completion.
Razdolnoye Antenna Farm was first ob-
25X1 D served on oblique aerial photography of
25X1 D
I
ap-
early as I _7 The apparent success 25X1 D
of the antenna system is indicated by the fact
that additional similar arrays were constructed
at Lapichi and Ulyanovka. These latter arrays
are in secured areas in which probable medium-
wave broadcast radiators were also under con-
on photography of There
were completed curtain arrays, but the linear
array was in an early stage of construction.
First evidence of construction of vertical radia-
tors appeared on photography of
25X1 D
25X1 D
25X1 D
Lapichi Antenna Farm is located at 53-25N
28-31E, 2 nautical miles (nm) northeast of
Lapichi and 45 nm southeast of Minsk. It is lo-
cated in a low marsh area which is ideal for con-
ductivity, and it contains a linear array and two
probable vertical radiators. The farm is sur-
-rounded by a security fence.
The linear array is in a cleared area, meas-
ures about 6,775 feet, and is oriented on an azi-
muth of 60/240 degrees (Figure 8). There are
26 pole-supported in-line elements spaced
feet apart, each pole being approximately 35 feet
high. Located to the south and near the eastern
end of the array is a 110- by 55-foot central con-
trol building, and two cooling ponds are under
construction between the building and the array.
A second possible control building measuring
140 by 20 feet is situated at the terminus of a
peared complete and operational. No significant
change has taken place since.
25X1 D
I TOP SECRET
 TOP SECRET
service road to the southeast of the first control
building. An electrical power substation is lo-
cated along the main service road, within the
secured area. The presence of the cooling ponds
and the electrical power substation indicates that
the farm has a transmitting capability (Figures 1
and 2).
Two probable vertical radiator positions are
located southeast of the linear array. If the ver-
tical radiators could be identified, they would oc-
cupy the centers of two circular ground systems,
each 1,375 feet in diameter. Radial cable scars
are present atlinintervals from the centers of 25X1 D
these systems. Centers of the circles are 5,315
feet apart and a line connecting them would be
oriented on an azimuth of 20/200 degrees. Each
25X1 D
TOP SECRET I I I
 I
I
TOP SECRET
circle has three guy legs 120? apart, and four
guy anchor positions are spaced at 165-foot in-
tervals out these legs. Also visible on the
southern circle are three concentric circular
scars approximately 80 feet apart (Figure 3).
Both ground systems have ground scars every
30` arc around their perimeters.
Support buildings are not present within the
secured area; however, two nearby barracks
Road
---- Trail
^ Fence
Drainage Ditch
TOP' SECRET
areas could supply adequate support. One is lo-
cated 1.5 nm northwest and the other 2 nm south-
west of the central control building.
Razdolnoye Antenna Farm is located at 43-
32N 131-56E, 1.5 rim east of Razdolnoye and 25
nm north of Vladivostok. The installation is on
the top of a hill, at an average site elevation of
FIGURE 2. LAPICHI ANTENNA FARM.
- 3 -
 TOP SECRET
FIGURE 3. LAPICHI GROUND SYSTEM WITH TYPICAL VER-
TICAL RADIATOR.
600 feet. Care has been taken to position the
elements of each array at a common elevation.
The site is road served, and no security fences
are apparent (Figures 4 and 5).
This installation has two linear arrays (Fig-
ure 8). The lon er one oriented on an azi-
muth of is 6,545 feet long
and is composed of 25 in-line pole-supported
elements. The poles are about 70 feet high
25X1 D,
and spaced 280 feet apart, except that the
pole at the southwest end is only 160 feet
from the adjacent pole.
The shorter array is 3,570 feet long and has ,
15 pole-supported elements in a lineorientedon
an azimuth of Figure 8). The 25X1 D
poles are about 255 feet apart and 70 feet high.
I
I
25X1 D
TOP SECRET I I
 TOP SECRET
The control center is located between the
two arrays and contains two control buildings,
four cooling ponds, and several buildings and
unidentified structures. The control building
near the 25-element array is approximately
135 by 100 feet, and the other control building
is approximately 130 by 80 feet. The cooling
ponds are all about 40 feet, inside diameter.
An electrical power substation adjacent
to the western cooling- ponds is served by
a powerline from the. north. A second pos-
sible substation is probably fed by a second
powerline from the northeast. About nine
probable shop and maintenance buildings along
the roads leading to Razdolnoye could pro-
vide limited support.
CONTROL BUILDING
137' X 100'
ULYANOVKA ANTENNA FARM
Ulyanovka Antenna Farm is located 59-39N
30-41E, 2 nm northwest of Ulyanovka and 20 nm
southeast of Leningrad on flat marshy terrain.
The installation is security fenced and contains
three antenna systems: one linear array; one
probable vertical radiator system; and a serpen-
tine of curtain arrays (Figures 6 and 7). Cur-
tain arrays have been adequately describedpre-
viously 1/ and will not be treated in this report.
The linear array is 6,750 feet long and con-
sists of 26 pole-supported in-line elements ori-
ented on an azimuth of 80/260 degrees (Figure 8).
The supporting poles are apart and ap-
proximately 135 feet high. A control building,
160 by 125 feet, is located north of the array with
' PROBABLE
CABLE S C A R
SUBSTATION
COOLING /COOLING
PONDS PONDS
I
LINEAR
ARRAY
Road
--- Trail
Fence
-?- Powerline
--- Transmission line
? Building
Unidentified structure
0 1000
TOP SECRET
POSSIBLE
SUBSTATION
'-.PROBABLE
EARTH
SCAR --
LINEAR
ARRAY
25X1 D
 TOP SECRET
two cooling ponds, each approximately 40 feet in
diameter, adjacent on the east.
Two probable vertical radiator positions
north of the linear array appear to be in early
stages of construction. The guy legs can be iden-
tified and appear identical to those at Lapichi.
Centers of the two positions are about 4,600 feet
apart, and a line connecting them would be ori-
ented on an azimuth of 65/245 degrees. Cable
scars from the probable vertical radiator system
to the control building which serves the linear
array indicate that the two systems will utilize
the same facilities.
Numerous cleared areas within the secured
limits of the installation indicate possible ad-
ditional antenna systems, but none can be identi-
fied on existing photography.
At the northern end of the installation, com-
plete housing and support facilities are evident
and include a probable electrical power sub-
station which is served by the main powerline
west of the installation.
I
TOP SECRET
25X1 D
 TOP SECRET
Some estimates have been made of the an-
tenna design frequencies of the systems at the
antenna farms. Although it cannot be determined
from available photography that the vertical ra-
diators have been erected at Lapichi and Llyan-
ovka, the ground systems are apparent. At
Lapichi there are both radial cable scars and guy
anchors designed to stabilize vertical antennas,
and at C:lvanovka, where the system is in an
SUPPORT
AREA-
earlier stage of construction, the guy anchors
can be identified.
Standardization in ground systems indicates
that the optimum radius would be approximately
one-half wave length. For the Lapichi ground
systems, which are 1,575 feet in diameter, the
frequency would be approximately 620 kc. The
optimum electrical height of a medium-fre-
quency radiator is about 10? more than one-half
? PROBABLE
~? SUBSTATION
~~ ? COOLING
/URTAIN
/ ARRAYS
4~
~0-/* ~*~' ~ ~A~ ~- p- "
VERTICAL RADIATORS'
GROUND SYSTEMS
N
CON B^ILDI
~ NG
Railroad
Primary road
Secondary road
Fence
- Power l i ne
UNIDENTIFIED
,EARTH SCARS
Transmission line
Drainage ditch
ra Building
Tower
GUY A'WCHORS
EARTH
SCARS
y(401 1:0.) POLES
EARTH
SCAR Z___
TOP SECRET
 TOP SECRET
25X1 D
wave length, which at 620 kc would be about 750
feet, physical height (the physical height is some-
what less than the electrical height). Although
the Ulyanovka ground systems are still under
construction, the guy legs can be identified on
one and appear identical to those at Lapichi,
indicating a similar capability for the two
systems.
Table 1 presents a summary of the known
physical data for the four linear arrays and the
data derived from these. Because of the limi-
tation in determining the exact pole height and
hence the exact frequency, all frequencies have
been rounded off to the nearest 1/2-mc. It was
assumed that the vertical dipoles consist of two
1/4-wave elements, and standard frequency for-
mulas were used in the computations.
Figure 8 shows probable end-wring azi-
muths of linear arrays as well as the pattern
for broadside firing, although there is no evi-
dence that the arrays have been modified to
form broadside beams.
No of elements
26
Frequency
14.5 me
Array length
6.775 ft
Element spacing
4 wavelengths
Element spacing
Total length
100 wavelengths
Pole height
35 It
\o of elements
25
Frequency
7.0 me
Array length
6 545 ft
Element spacing
2 wavelengths
in
t
a
El
Total length
47.14 wavelengths
25X1 D
sp
c
g
emen
Pole height
70tt
No of elements
15
Frequency
7.5 me
Array length
3,570 ft
Element spacing
2 wavelengths
Element spacing
255 ft
Total length
28 wavelengths
Pole height
70 ft
25X1 D
No of elements 26
Array length 6.750 ft
Element spacing
Pole height
135 ft
Frequency 3.5 me
Element spacing one wavelength
Total length 25 wavelengths
'Except that the southwest end pole is 160 feet from the adjacent pole.
TOP SECRET
 0
End firing
Broadside firing
? Antenna farm
NPIC H?4749 II/44I
FIGURE 8. WAVE PROPAGATION AZIMUTHS FOR LINEAR ARRAYS.
0
10
 25X1 B
TOP SECRET
APPENDIX
LINEAR ARRAY DEVELOPMENT
The Soviet need for high-frequency steer-
able broadcasting systems has led them to ex-
periment with a variety of antenna arrays. Such
arrays are necessarily huge and therefore easily
detected. Numerous large Krug-type circular
arrays, steerable in azimuth for direction find-
ing, have been built in the USSR; and various
other systems including curtain arrays and fish-
bone antennas are operational.
ELEMENT
SUPPORT BRACKET
1[
FEED
POINT
(CENTER FED)
QUARTER WAVE
ANTENNA POLE
_---WOODEN
SUPPORT POLE
0
TOP SECRET
25X1 B
CONTROL VAN
TRANSMISSION
SUMMING LINE
INT
i
t
1
 Approved For Release 2003/01/17 : CIA-RDP78TO5439A000300140060-1
Approved For Release 2003/01/17 : CIA-RDP78TO5439A000300140060-1
 TOP SECRET
25X1A
25X1A
25X1A
25X1A
25X1A
MAPS OR CHARTS
ACID US Air Target Chart. Series 100 1st ed, Nov 54 (CONFIDENTIAL)
ACIC. US Air Target Chart, Series 200, . eet 15. -4 , May 63 (SECRET)
CNO. US Air Target Mosaic, Series 50 Sheet 153-4i SMA 1st ed, Jun 63 (SECRET)
ACIC. US Air Target Chart, Series 100 1st ed, Mar 56 (CONFIDENTIAL)
SAC. US Air Target Chart, Series 200, Sheet 168-2011L, 2d ed, Oct 6? (SECRET)
ACIC. US Air Target Chart, Series '100 Sheet 2191-1A 1st ed Jun 5S (SECRET)
ACIC. US Air Target Chart, Series 100 (Pros), 1st ed, Sep 56 (SECRET)
DIA. US Air Target Mosaic, Series 50, . vet 2 1- 11. : , ? ed, Apr 63 (SECRET)
2. 1 ISCAN--Inertialess Steerable Communication Antenna," IRE
international Convention Record, vol 10, part 1, 1962, pp 152-163 (UNCLASSIFIED)
3. I I'HF Propagation Test of ISCAN," IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, %ol AP-11,
no 4, pp 4.34-4375, Jul 63 (['',CLASSIFIED)
I
I
TOP SECRET