SUMMARY OF SOVIET ACTIVITIES IN ANTARCTICA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82R00025R000200180009-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 21, 2010
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: January 1, 1963
• Content Type: SUMMARY

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T
CIA/RR GP 63-6:L
January 1963
SUMMARY OF SOVIET ACTIVITIES IN ANTARCTICA
I. Historical Background
Soviet interest in Antarctic research can be traced back as far as 1937,
but actual activities in the Antarctic region began in the 1946-47 season
with the initiation of whaling operations. Scientific observations were
begun in the next whaling season, with the attachment of a scientific vessel
and a small scientific staff for the conduct of a limited program of meteor-
ological, oceanographic, and biological research. Whaling operations have
been conducted every year since 1946-47 but have been expanded since then
and currently involve four fleets having a total of more than 70 units,
exclusive of servicing vessels.
Operations on the ice continent were begun in 1955 as a part of the
International Geophysical Year, 1957-58. This represented a logical ex-
pansion of the scope of Soviet physical environmental research from domestic
to world-wide coverage. These operations have been continuous up to the
present time, and the USSR now is conducting its eighth expedition to restaff
and resupply a year-round operation for 1963-64..
II. Political Interests and Attitudes
The political and legal policy of the USSR dates back to 1939 when it
protested the Norwegian claim to Peter I Island in western Antarctica.
C
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Soviet assertion to the right of access to any part of Antarctica is pred-
icated partly on a claimed prior-discovery of Antarctica by the Russian
Imperial Navy expedition of Bellingshausen in 1820, and partly on the present
scientific and economic importance of Antarctica to the world as a whole.
Efforts made by the United States in 1948 to resolve the question of Ant-
arctic sovereignty by internationalization without USSR participation were
met by a formal protest from the USSR in 1950. Although the United States
no longer pursued its efforts for internationalization, Soviet propaganda
continued its unfriendly cold-war theme -- though not very vigorously
up to the beginning of the IGY program. In 1958 the USSR accepted an invi-
tation from the United States to participate in the Antarctic Conference,
and in 1959 the USSR signed the Antarctic Treaty, which provides for: (1)
free and unlimited air and ground inspection of all facilities and equipment
in Antarctica; (2) advance disclosure of information on plans, activities,
personnel, and equipment; (3) disclosure of observational data; and (4)
deferral of the right to make claims or create a basis for future claims for
30 years, the duration of the Antarctic Treaty. Since the entry of the USSR
into the IGY program, the typical Soviet cold-war propaganda, which accused
the United States of imperialism and military intentions, including the use
of Antarctica for nuclear testing, has been replaced by a moderate theme of
lauding-Soviet achievements.
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Other Bloc activity in Antarctica has included Czechoslovak and East
German participation at Soviet stations. Poland, however, was given a
small Soviet coastal station in 1959, occupied it for only a week, and
since then has failed to return although it did make two false starts.
Communist Chinese plans to participate in the 1959-60 Soviet program did
not materialize.
III. Main Elements of USSR Operations
A large number of research institutes of the Academy of Sciences and
government organizations participate in the planning and conduct of Soviet
activities in Antarctica. The major research institute is the Arctic and
Antarctic Scientific Research Institute of the Northern Sea Route Adminis-
tration. Interdepartmental planning and coordination with other research
institutes is undertaken by the Academy of Sciences, USSR. Logistical
and operational support is provided by the Northern Sea Route Administration
of the Ministry of the Marine Fleet, which has had extensive experience in
the Arctic.
Research activities include the basic fields of the physical environ-
mental sciences, meteorology, geomagnetism, aurora and airglow, ionspheric
physics, cosmic rays, earth currents, glaciology, oceanography, seismology,
geology, geography, and gravimetry. Other activities include biological and
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medical research, resource exploration, and mapping and charting, as well
as sea and air navigation studies. Two fields of activity unique to the
Soviet program are studies associated with the size and shape of the earth.,
and systematic radio monitoring of earth satellites -- including the Dis-
coverer series. One of the more spectacular research undertakings was the
launching in 1957-58 of 22 rockets, to altitudes between 60 and 100 kilometers,
for upper atmospheric observations from ships in the Antarctic waters and
the southern Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Research operations include both continental and marine programs. Con-
tinental operations include (a) station observations, (b) tractor traverses,
(c) "flying laboratory" observations, (d) airlifting of field teams, and
(e) automatic recording weather stations. Although the initial announcement
of these operations mentioned the setting up of "one or two" stations, the
Soviets actually have established a total of 11 fixed stations; of these, 3
have been closed out, 1 that was inactive has been transferred to Poland for
its Antarctic research, 3 are currently inactive, and It will conduct year-
round operations for the 1963-61+ season. These last four stations are Mirnyy
(main base),.Molodezhnaya (a new station) and Novolazaryevskaya, which are
on the coast; and Vostok, which is 874 statute miles from the coast. In
addition to the permanent stations, seven small, temporary stations have
been set up over the years. Tractor. traverse operations are conducted
annually; one such traverse was conducted to the South Pole. "Flying
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laboratories," which were proven to be effective in Soviet Arctic research,
are employed regularly in Antarctica for meteorological and radiation ob-
servations as well as ice-reconnaissance operations. In some years these
operations have been conducted during every month of the winter season.
Soviet marine operations have been very extensive and comprehensive.
These are undertaken every year by the flagship, the Ob', after it has
completed its resupply operations as the main supply freighter. The ship
is outfitted with six or more laboratories and is staffed for research in
several disciplines -- meteorology, physical oceanography, hydrochemistry,
geology, geophysics, hydrography, and biology. Oceanographic survey cruises
have been completed between Antarctica and Eurasia, South America, South
Africa, Australia and New Zealand, as well as around Antarctica.
Logistical support operations for so comprehensive a program have been
very modest. Generally two ships are used, although in one season only one
ship was used and in another, three. The total number of personnel (includ-
ing ships' crews) has ranged from 212 to 625. This dependence on ship
operations has markedly restricted the scope of the summer research program
and the over-all effectiveness of the Soviet effort. To correct this defi-
ciency the USSR in December 1961 and January 1962 undertook an experimental
transcontinental air operation from Moscow to Antarctica with two turboprop
aircraft (I1-18, AN-10). These flights proved 'both the feasibility of inter-
continental resupply by air and the advantages of using high-capability
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turboprop aircraft for intracontinental operations. Despite this success,
Soviet plans for using turboprop aircraft this year were cancelled, and
the USSR will continue to depend on an air park of a dozen conventional
single-engine and twin-engine aircraft.
The introduction of nuclear energy into USSR Antarctic operations has
been mentioned in Soviet sources but no action has been taken up to the
present.
IV. Summary and Assessment
The chief Soviet interest in Antarctica is to gain basic scientific
knowledge, including that of military value, as a part of Soviet systematic
investigations of the earth as a whole -- from its core to outer space --
for the purpose of increasing Soviet mastery over natural phenomena. In
addition, the USSR hopes to gain prestige from scientific achievements and
to establish an image of international, cooperativeness. In contrast to
Arctic operations, which are conducted under severe security restrictions,
Soviet operations in Antarctica are conducted openly.
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