TEST PREPARATIONS FOR A NEW SMALL-SOLID ICBM PLESETSK ICBM LAUNCH TEST SITE 21, USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82T00709R000102730001-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 12, 2011
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: July 23, 1982
• Content Type: REPORT

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(c) NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER
Attachment to Z-15792/82
NPIC/IEG (7/82)
30 JULY 1982
TEST PREPARATIONS FOR A NEW SMALL-SOLID ICBM
PLESETSK ICBM LAUNCH TEST SITE 21, USSR
1. (S/D) SIGNIFICANCE: IDENTIFICATION OF A POSSIBLE ERECTOR AND
A POSSIBLE LAUNCH STAND AT PLESETSK ICBM LAUNCH TEST SITE (LTS)
21.
2. (S/D) REMARKS: A POSSIBLE ERECTOR. (GRAPHIC 1. ,25X1
INSET) WAS IN THE 48-METER FRAMEWORK STRUCTURE ON THE EAST PAD
OF LTS 21. THE ERECTOR WAS APPROXIMATELY 20 METERS LONG AND
THREE METERS WIDE AND MAY HAVE HAD A CRADLE-LIKE FRAMEWORK. ON
A POSSIBLE LAUNCH STAND (GRAPHIC 1) WAS ON A RECENTLY 25X1
FED PROBABLE CONCRETE LAUNCH PAD WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK
STRUCTURE. IT WAS CENTERED ON THE LAUNCH PAD APPROXIMATELY 25
METERS FROM THE ENTRANCE OF THE STRUCTURE. THE POSSIBLE LAUNCH
STAND HAS A TRUNCATED-CONE SHAPE, A TOP DIAMETER OF
APPROXIMATELY ONE METER, A BASE DIAMETER OF APPROXIMATELY THREE
METERS, AND IS APPROXIMATEL LTS 21 IS A 25X1
DUAL-PAT) SOFT LAUNCH SITE THAT SUPPORTED FLIGHT TESTING OF THE
SS-X-15 AND SS-16. MODIFICATION/REIFURBISHMINT OF LTS 21 FOR
THE FLIGHT TEST PROGRAM OF A NEW SMALL-SIZE, SOLID-PROPELLANT
(SMALL-SOLID) INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILE (ICBM) BEGAN
IN LATF 1.980. IT HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED WHETHER MISSILES
TESTED FROM THIS POSSIBLE LAUNCH STAND WOULD BE LAUNCHED TO THE
KAMCHATKA IMPACT AREA OR WOULD BE LAUNCH PHASE (POP-UP) TESTS.
(S/D) 'I'III' 48-METER. FRAMEWORK STRUCTURE WAS BUILT IN 1972 TO
CONCEAL SS-16 FLIGHT TEST ACTIVITIES. DURING THE SS-16 FLIGHT
TEST PROGRAM, 24 METERS OF THIS STRUCTURE WAS NORMALLY COVERED
BY EIGHT MOVABLE THREE-METER LONG ROOF SECTIONS WHILE THE
REMAINDER 01: THE STRUCTURE WAS CANVAS-COVERED. REANALYSIS OF
R
ITS 21 SINCE THE TERMINATION OF THE SS-16 FLIGHT TEST POGRAM
IN APRIL 1976 REVEALED THAT A. POSSIBLE LAUNCH STAND AND
POSSIBLE ERECTOR WERE IN TLIE 48-METER FRAMEWORK STRUCTURE.
Tills T,AIINCII STAND IS P.ROBA13LY THE SAME STAND IDENTIFIED 25X1
ALTIIOIJGI-I THE LAUNCH STAND WAS PERIODICALLY SEEN 25X1
NEAR TI-IE ENTRANCE TO THE STRUCTURE, IT WAS NORMALLY POSITIONED
APPROXIMATELY 21 METERS FROM THE ENTRANCE. HOWEVER, DUE TO THE
These notes have been prepared for briefing purposes only and should not he used for detailed ana-
lytical work. Their use should be restricted to the particular briefing board(s) they were prepared for
ff and must be considered valid only for the reporting period as indicated by the date of issue.
WARNING NOTICE
In telligence source!,
and methods Involved
F (7 T
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(c) NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER
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EXTENSIVE CONCEALMENT MEASURES AT LTS 21, IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE
TO DETERMINE IF THIS LAUNCH STAND AND ERECTOR WERE PRESENT
DURING THE SS-16 FLIGHT TEST PROGRAM.
(S/n) BY OCTOBER 1980, NUMEROUS CRATES/CANVAS-COVERED PIECES
OF EQUIPMENT (POE) WERE DELIVERED TO LTS 21. THE CONTENTS OF
THE CRATES AND THE POE MAY HAVE BEEN COMPONENTS USED TO
MODIFY/REFURBISH THE LAUNCH CONTROL BUNKERS. NO ACTIVITY WAS
IDENTIFIED AT THE FRAMEWORK STRUCTURE UNTIL SEPTEMBER 1981,
WHEN THE CANVAS WAS REMOVED FROM THE STRUCTURE. ALTHOUGH THE
POSSIBLE ERECTOR WAS NOT PRESENT, THE POSSIBLE LAUNCH STAND
REMAINED IN THE STRUCTURE AFTER THE CANVAS WAS REMOVED. THE
ERECTOR WAS FIRST OBSERVED AT LTS 21 IN 1982[ j WHEN IT 25X1
WAS IN FRONT OF THE LAUNCH STAND) IN THE OPEN SECTION OF THE
STRUCTURE. CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW PROBABLE CONCRETE LAUNCH
PAD BEGAN DURING EARLY JUNE AND WAS COMPLETED 25X1
WHILE THE CONCRETE LAUNCH PAD WAS UNDER. CONSTRUCTION, THE
LAUNCH STAND WAS NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE STRUCTURE. ~ 9FX1
THE LAUNCH STAND WAS MOVED TO THE CENTER OF THE LAUNCH 25X1
FAT IN ADDITION, THREE OF THE EIGHT ROOF SECTIONS WERE
REMOVED FROM THE REAR OF THE STRUCTURE LEAVING A IS-METER
COVERED SECTION. 25X1
3. (S)
Attachment to Z-15792/82
NPIC/IEG (7/82)
30 JULY 1982
COORDINATES 62-58-23N 041-24-08E.
These notes have been prepared for briefing purposes only and should not be used for detailed ana-
lytical work. Their use should be restricted to the particular briefing board(s) they were prepared for
and must be considered valid only for the reporting period as indicated by the date of issue.
WARNING NO'iii~i
intelligw1ce Sources
tI Methods lnvolvec
SECRET
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