MISSILE HANDLING FACILITY UNDER CONSTRUCTION ASEB, ETHIOPIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T00250A000100290001-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 27, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: September 1, 1979
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/27: CIA-RDP80TOO25OA000100290001-3
Top Secret
Missile Handling Facility Under Construction
Aseb, Ethiopia (TSR)
Top Secret
IAR-0030/79 25X1
SEPTEMBER 1979
Copy 169
Imagery analysis report
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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/27: CIA-RDP80TOO25OA000100290001-3
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Top Secret RUFF
MISSILE HANDLING FACILITY UNDER CONSTRUCTION
ASEB, ETHIOPIA (TSR)
1. (TSR) Aseh Missile Handling Facility is currently under construction
approximately 3 nautical miles north of Aseb along Ethiopia's Red Sea coast. This report discusses
briefly the history of the construction of this facility, depicts the present status of that construc-
tion, and provides mensural data for the major buildings within the facility.
2. (TSR) The facility is served by an interconnecting road network and consists of three separate
areas-a missile handling and fueling area, a missile assembly and component storage area, and a
housing and support area (Figure 1). The missile handling and fueling area contains six buildings: one
drive-through, probable checkout building (item I ): two drive-through fueling buildings (items 2 and 3):
and three support buildings (items 4, 5, and 6). The missile assembly and component storage area
contains two drive-through missile assembly buildings (items 7 and f{), two drive-in component storage
buildings (items 9 and 10), and a foundation (item 11) for a large drive-in building. Equipment handling
cranes have been built above the entrances of both component storage buildings. A total of nine
buildings, including a large vehicle/equipment storage building (item 12), are in the housing and
support area.
3. (TSR) The entire installation is secured by a single perimeter security fence. Four guard
towers are along this perimeter fence. Internal fences are presently under construction in the
vicinity of the missile handling and fueling area and in the vicinity of the missile assembly and
component storage area.
4. (TSR) Construction of this facility began between
=the installation was in a mid-to-late stage of construction
with all of the major buildings
externally complete. Between construction proceeded at a relatively
slow pace.
5. (TSR) The fact that no missile handling equipment or missile canisters/crates have as yet
been observed within the installation makes it difficult to determine the specific missile systems to
he handled there. However, the layout of the facility, along with the types and si/es of the
buildings observed there, indicates that this installation is designed to handle liquid propellant
missiles, such as the Soviet SA-2 or the STYX cruise missile. At present, the Ethiopians have not
deployed the SA-2 in the vicinity of Aseb, which is defended by the SA-3 missile system. The SA-3
is a solid propellant missile which would not require the fueling buildings that have been con-
structed at the Aseb Missile Handling Facility. In addition, a new installation, Aseb SA-3 Support
Facility Alelao has recently been established to support the two SA-3 sites in
the area. The Ethiopians have stationed their Osa-1I guided missile patrol boat at Aseb Port
Facilities Aseb Missile Handling Facility would he the logical installation to
handle and service the STYX cruise missile, which is carried on the Osa-II.
(S) Comments and queries regarding this report are welco
Regional Analysis Division, Imagery Exploitation Group, NPIC,
Top Secret
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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/27: CIA-RDP80TOO25OA000100290001-3
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 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/27: CIA-RDP80TOO25OA000100290001-3
Top Secret
Top Secret
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/27: CIA-RDP80TOO25OA000100290001-3