SOVIET USE OF FALSE AIRFIELDS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600060340-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 16, 2011
• Sequence Number: 340
• Publication Date: October 4, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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..~ CLASSIFICATION -3EerrP~
CENTRAL IM ELLIGENCE AGENCY REPOR ~
INFORMATION REPORT cD No
COUNTRY USSR/ae.-uauy (sovie? Zane j DATE DISTR. ~' ~/(?,~" 195::
SUBJECT Scvi~~. Uee cf Fa;~~ Ai-~fiel;3s N0. OF PAGES ~'
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF 1NFCIRMAT.I+Jti
N0. OF ENCLS.
(LISTEC BELOWI
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SUPPLEMENT TO
REPQRT N0.
:n e:ris. pragtiae ?he Sevieie b~rild false airfields of both the der..cy and
CLASSIFICATION
DISTRIBUTION
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The ijecisiou to construct false airfields ia, in most eases] mach at lir Army
Headquarters. There are cases, however, when the Air Army Cnmmarder delegates Chia
responsibility to the Corps Cormr/ander. The assignment of responsibility for the
Fxecutii~n ,>f a decision tc build a false airfield is net fixed. Sometimes 1'. i.e
the duty of an Air Army staff officer to see that the decision, is carried oat; on
*.ner occasions a Division cr subordirlsie Unit Commander has the r.?esponsibili.ty.
El~.~~lca.liy r?YiE fd.i3c ?ir:ield is a ruse employed by Soviet irental (tactical)
~.wie*.ivn. ?Jn rarz occasirma however, the situation and the nature of ether ebiective~a
rraght ~9i~_t-?~ ft,e can3tructfen of false airfields withr_+ut frontal aviation being
involved T~k~., Ks an example, a c>SS2 where an important industi21~:0
from ab,:ut five *.~ ten c,r mrr~ ki.lam~tpr~.. ?'bis fa:.s,~rr i strongly irdiu~~.:~?: t??~ sip;:
ovaii?.ble r,etra.r,; (asp f:~:c.e.?.d1ng questl?:n~,
During asrtier: F ere!~iA.l. ?: ~+~- is asaigr~ed tc Fsch A.ir Army and ss.:h aepsra.tN Al: -.
T~eehr_i^a: Divi=1':;:. f?~: tt,e Furt_~s~ c?L huildfng false alrfield5 E.n3 fas .:a.~rn~uflegine
aircraft. Tk+ic+ ^:raw i? 3?Ihordinats tc the Chief of the Ai_ Aru~y C3mruflage Sersice
sad 'is c`~;r_.aad c=i the followting spJciaiists~ Css~,an.ters. YaintersT jcin~r~,
tinsmiths, elet:ciciara, e*.c. Each Separate Air Techni.osl Battalion has a siuLixr
^rPw. 9c~~rer, chi= 15?.t P:^ type of _rew has fewer sp~?cialists tPcause it d~?. n.-`
build fel,-: r. atlr'IF.lds', This l.aet-awntivned type ~~f crew engages strictly in tor,
work of csm:ufi.agix~? op?eratirn,al airfields and ?he aircraft on them.
The fn?,i.ewing r.-itgrials ars ??_..aed in the constructie_: of false sirfislds. Piyxa:d
.
ordiruiry lambs-, carNas, pelota, vri>nish, storage batteries; sheet izonT old ai.rcrsf'
(ie, aircraft that have be-an damaged beyond repair), and mi.sceliaheous other items,
in building fare airfields, the SAF defi.ait?ely prefers tc use the sites of
abandoned, temporary-type, airfields. As a general rule; such sites are used when-?
evsr they ars a-,-ailsble and suitable for the ose.
D
t
t
i
i
con
dummq tapes, reccfgniiirg the variation in p~.lrpose betwe decay and dunuly airtirldj.
$owev~~ i*t SAE' terminology there is only the one term 1~ llB~o~IDG1i 50X1-HUM
(Lo2_ aerodr~m o: "fall~e airfield". This term is applied by t .Soviets to both
cen
ra
e on
u
ld
t~g dusq, l~11-flee afro w a are t tc etinguish
tYbs the real GCrta when visaed, or pboto~raphed, from the sir. These du~pr aircraft
a:~~, dispersed around the false airfield dad they are casouflagsd with the ease degree
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of care that would be devoted to genuine aircraft parked on an operational airfield.
Secondly, a regular craw ie always based on a permanent, false airfield. This crew
creates he impression of continuous activity on the airfield. For this purpose
the-crew hsa at its disposal trucks and otha_ yAhicles found on an operational air-
field. iheae :%ehiclea are driven aroand the -alas airfield in order to make it
appear that the site ie act,ive. This sort of activity takes place particularly when
enemy aircraft are over the field or are in its vi~ir.~ty.
Another Soviet device for adding the appearance of reality to a false airfield is
to have two or- three of the latest fighter aircraft based there. These fighter Gird
craft are mgnned by young inexperienced pilots who, immediately upon spotting the
enemy, take off and engage the enemy aircraft. _ -
In order to make it more difficult for enemy reconnaisgai;ce aircraft to detect false
airfield building activity? all the constrti~^.tion work is done during the hours of
darknesu. The parlring place of each dummy aircraft is changed and reeamouflaged
daily sc as tc increase the effectiveness of the deceFtfon. And finally9 ~.n order
to be certain that. the faloe airfields appear real from the air, the SAF has its
own reronr~aiss~anc.e aircraft photograph all friendly air bases in the area, Later,
these phc?tcgraphs are compared for effectiveness of the camouflage and of the measures
of dece?tion.
When enemy aircraft act?ially attack a false airfieldY the Soviets make a special
efforr, tc c~.nvince the enemy that Lie attack has been effective. Fer example, t?he e:.rew
of t?he false airf~Fld has the dummy aircraft rigged ug with explosives and some fuel
ir. advhz,.ce~ IYhAr. an enecrty bomb 'Lands n=ar ore cf the dummy aircraft , the crew blrws
:t uF by msno ~~f el.eat?ricai fuses. Afi;er Each enemy rsid, friendly reconnaia,G~*..cr. is
4gEin coradsc*ad i:v;,T the fislae sirf.ie:id ir.?. order t; dtt=.rmin~ what impz?~~cwm~:~t ci tnF
carxcuflagin.g t=L;Cu:i~IUec are nestled.
TY?F chsnce: o'' reetgniring a fe1sF, airfield fz?cm the sir by ar-a:yzing the ?ntcnsi*y
cf the fie.k th~r.~ arc prFcLically nrn-Axiatent. Ihis is because false airfieid.~ ri
u?aai,y ir. t'_te sriee. cf froratai a~ ?iirn end would, cor_seauentiy~ be p*otected m~:*-
by f'rendly fighter sir~raft than by AAA..
making a -cows on a s se a e rese e e q oa a me ern, operat?ior,a: 5
n;,?riat~ mwYino a Anns"v n~~r-v aanetr like the r?al t:hrr.~ frtm
- b"~" r-- 50
large sheets of asbestos ( the asbestos sheets are the same sir
id f hi b t y
as the rurnrc.te blocks on a regu sr concre a runway , one e ~ o w c is c~~a ~e?
with s thin leyer rf cement, xhen a dummy runway is laid cut with tbeQe sheet
- ~-t ~ ti iahable Eros an rational r?~inwa izc?m
cf coat,.d a~b... ~c~ it wil., sot be dis ngu ope y
the atr? in the event of hcst3litiee, Soviet frcn?.ai s~~iaticn 5C
would cone- ,. _ n ae of improvised airfields rather than on modern airfielac..
Savief fighters and tactical bombers are capable of taking off and landing on hard,
naturai~9urfaced fields. The modern runways would be fine, if available, but they
would not bP co!isidered a n~?ceeaity by the SAF. The same cozeept applies tc .r?,uwsy
lights. Night landings art accomplished with the aid of flares and aircraft landing
1.1 hts?
Tf as operational airfield ie damaged, the Savieta will cielte no effort to have the
nearby false airfield reeeable the damaged, operational airfield. The Soviets will..
hanievers Spare no Effort in repairing the damaged, operational airfield so that it
agn b? used again.
False airfields are not used a6 "baited traps". X11 available 41-F fighters woul@
rise to attack the intruding enafyy aircraft rsgardlaaa of the target. If the enemy
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airora!'t should aiuccaad in reachia~ a Sortat airfield ettbout opposition frog figbtefis,
all available fighters frog that tad tsar al:. nn~tr~uadiag sirtialds would be sent un
to engage tAe eaeq.
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SE!'RET
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the Sovitits d1d, in fact,
officers stressed the fact that details on this subject are Top Secret. Indeed, every- " "~~~ ~ "'~?~
thing written about the comaunication service ie 10SOV8RSH8NN0 SElQt~TNO" (Top Secret).
German theories and techniques in respect to decoy and dummy
airfields, have had no influence whatsoever on the SAF theory and Dractice of
the false airfield technique. SAF techniques in buildi ?? false
airfields were much better than t~ e~ chniq~es duri 1-a
the World War II Battle of Bobruysk (280 36'E - 53 10'N) 50X1- H U M
German bombers attacking and bombing a Soviet false airfie n e area.
manual was classified "For Military Use".I I 50)(1_ H U M
two or three separate volumes
?, ~-m?ntioned "For Military Use"
classification: was discontinued and all such manuals were reclassified "SECRET". Abcui
1948 the Voroshilov General Staff Academy issued a secret informational Bulletin or.
the subjects of camouflaging, false airfield construction and allied subjects. The
following categories of officers usually see the literature on this subject:: Unit
Cotmnanders and their Deputies, Chiefs of Intelligence Sections, Chief of Operations
Sections and Chief of Camouflaging Services. The personnel of an SAF Classified 50X1- H U M
Document Section also have access to this literature inasmuch as they have custody
of the material.
False airfields, in Soviet literature on the subject, are presented as part of the
PVO system in the sense that they are set up for the purpose of luring enemy
aircraft from more lueratite targets.
Soviet gro~?uid forces are in no way involved in the activity of building or maintaining
false airfields.
SAF pilots have n0 ri?ht to land, or even fly aver unfamiliar tnrrirnro,
The only time a pilot cow lead is unfamiliar territory is when such a landing is
dictated ty an er!iergency. ir. such canes, the p31ot will find out after landing
whether he is on an operational airfield or on a false airfield. In co apoadeace
between command echelons, a false airfield is indicated by this symbol being placed
next to the designation. It is possible thtt n pilot might have such an ndication on
his map, but such is not practice and instances of it are rare.
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