SOVIET AIRBORNE REGIMENTS IN EASTERN THEATER JOINT FORCES EXERCISE MARCH 1979

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T00250A000100130001-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 26, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: September 1, 1979
• Content Type: REPORT

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FA 0 71.11
NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CEWTER',;,
imagery analysis report
Soviet Airborne Regiments in
Eastern Theater Joint Forces Exercise
March 1979 (S)
Top Secret
i op secret
IAR-0026/79
SEPTEMBER 1979 25X1
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Top Secret RUFF
SOVIET AIRBORNE REGIMENTS IN EASTERN
THEATER JOINT FORCES EXERCISE, MARCH 1979 (S)
least 12 cargo pallets. At the tent bivouac area, all but
12 large tents had been removed. Twenty CANDID
aircraft were parked on the south parallel taxiway.
Olovyannaya Airfield
1. (TSR) At least two BMD (armored personnel carrier: Figure 1)-equipped airborne regiments were
deployed to the Transbaikal Military District (MD) in March 1979 to participate in a large-scale Soviet
joint forces exercise conducted in the Eastern Theater. This was the first time since 1969 that airborne
units had operated in the Eastern USSR.
2. 0 Imagery of late March indicated that two airborne regiments were deployed to the 25X1
Transbaikal MD-one regiment to Domna Airfield and the other to Olovyannaya Airfield (Figure 2). A
possible airborne unit command and control element was also observed at Chita Airfield Northwest.
No activity or equipment associated with
airborne troops was, however, observed in the exercise area on imagery of
3.(TSR) When observed on imagery of L
a BMD-equipped airborne regiment (Fig-
was at the east end of Domna Airfield (BE
Approximately 115 BMDs, at least
ten cargo pallets, six possible artillery pieces, five
probable GAZ-66 rocket launchers, and 26 vehi-
cles/pieces of equipment were parked in formation
parallel to a sod taxiway extension. A tent bivouac
area containing 14 large 40-man tents, five medium
18-man tents, and 70 small 10- to 12-man tents had
been set up in the southeast area of the airfield
complex (Figure 4). Seven IL-76 CANDID aircraft
were parked on a parallel taxiway. None of this
equipment had been present on
4. (TSR) On L the day before the
planned paradrop, no significant change was observed
in the equipment in the regiment at Domna. Equip-
ment was parked in approximately the same posi-
tions, and no CANDIDs were at the airfield. OnE
one day after the planned paradrop. the num-
hers and types of equipment in the parking area re-
mained unchanged, but some activity was observed.
This activity included the palletizing of materials on at
5. (TSR) Airborne activity was observed for
the first time at Olovyannaya Airfield
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A bivouac area containing 25X1
two large tents, three medium tents, and 28 small
tents was near the northeast end of a parallel sod
taxiway. Elements of a BMD-equipped airborne
regiment were being loaded onto CANDID aircraft
(Figure 5). Neither airborne equipment nor CAN-
DIDs had been observed on the last previous cov-
erage of
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6. (TSR) Of the 43 CANDIDs at the airfield 1)cv11
on 19 were parked wing-to-wing near 25X1
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7. (TSR) On two days following the 25X1
planned paradrop, the airborne regiment-which in-
cluded at least 80 BM Ds, 22 GAZ-66 trucks, 12 proba-
ble artillery pieces, and approximately 65 unidentified
vehicles/pieces of equipment-was parked in disor-
derly rows in or near the bivouac area. Several para-
chutes had been laid out on the ground to dry, and 23
CANDIDs were parked near the airborne regiment
(Figure 6).
the airborne regiment bivouac, and 18 were parked
in a line on the paved taxiway. The rear cargo
doors of six CANDIDs were open, and two or
three BMDs were at the rear of each of these air-
craft ready to be onloaded. Although only 13
BMDs were observed in the open, a clear impres-
sion of the parking pattern still visible in the bivouac
area indicated that a full regiment had been parked
there. A large group of personnel were on benches to
the rear of the 19 CANDIDs nearest the bivouac area.
Chita Airfield Northwest
8. (TSR) An airborne-related bivouac area
FIGURE 1. BMD ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIER. DoD. Foreign (Figure 7) was observed on at Chita 25X1
Technology Division; ground photo, attachment to Airfield Northwest approximately 25X1
IR 6 901 1085 77(CONFIDENTIAL) 15 nautical miles northeast of Domna. The bivouac
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area contained 31 large tents, 14 medium tents, and
eight small tents. Approximately 110 vehicles/pieces of
equipment were parked in an adjacent secured area.
This equipment included at least five BMDs, six pos-
sible GAZ-66 rocket launchers, six possible ZPU-23
antiaircraft guns, at least 14 probable pallet carrier
trucks, and several GAZ-66 cargo trucks. This bivouac
area may have been either a command and control
element for the airborne units at Domna and Olovyan-
naya or the headquarters element of a third airborne
regiment. No subsequent imagery of the bivouac area
at Chita was acquired until at which time all of
the tents and equipment had been removed.
Postexercise Activity
9. (TSR) The airborne regiments were de-
parting both Domna and Olovyannaya airfields when
observed on imagery of All of the airborne
equipment and CANDID aircraft had departed the
airfields by
10. (TSR) At Domna Airfield, on
approximately half of the equipment of the regi-
ment had been removed from the parking area and
loaded onto railcars at a rail siding just east of the
airfield (Figure 8). Twelve large tents remained in
the tent bivouac area, and ten CANDID aircraft
Wu-yiian
a jmurskiy Zav
OLOVYANNAYA
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were parked at the airfield. On the same day, at
Olovyannaya Airfield, 43 BMDs were in convoy
formation moving west past 20 parked CANDIDs
and away from the airfield (Figure 9). Twenty
more BMDs appeared to be preparing to join the
convoy. The local training areas and a rail siding
are in the direction that the convoy was moving.
The rear cargo doors were open on seven of the
parked CANDIDs, and large numbers of personnel
were near the aircraft.
SUMMARY
11. (TSR) Photographic evidence confirms that
at least two BMD-equipped airborne regiments were
deployed to the Transbaikal MD during the period E:1 25X1
however, it appears that only 25X1
one of the regiments actually participated in the exer-
cise and that this participation was limited. The regi-
ment at Domna apparently did not leave the airfield
during the exercise period. The regiment at Olovyan-
naya was loaded onto CANDID aircraft and was
probably flown to the exercise area near Mandalgovi,
Mongolia. This regiment had returned to the airfield
within two days after the planned paradrop; thus, its
participation in the exercise at Mandalgovi could not
have been extensive.
1979 (TSC), 102248Z Apr 79 (TOP SECRET
(S) Comments and queries regarding this report are welcome. They may be directed to
Pact Forces Division, Imagery Exploitation Group, NPIC,
Top Secret
arsaw
lA R-0026 /79
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