TANK DIVISION IDENTIFIED BREST ARMY BKS SE AL 2, USSR

Document Type: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP90T00784R000200390006-6
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
S
Document Page Count: 
3
Document Creation Date: 
December 28, 2016
Document Release Date: 
July 2, 2012
Sequence Number: 
6
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
November 18, 1982
Content Type: 
REPORT
File: 
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PDF icon CIA-RDP90T00784R000200390006-6.pdf166.02 KB
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/02 : CIA-RDP90T00784R000200390006-6 Iq Next 2 Page(s) In Document Denied Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/02 : CIA-RDP90T00784R000200390006-6 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/02 : CIA-RDP90T00784R000200390006-6 SECRET (c) NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER Page 1 of 2 Attachment to Z-16065/82 Copy(/ NPIC/IEG 24 NOVEMBER 1982 TANK DIVISION IDENTIFIED BREST ARMY SR 1. (SWN) SIGNIFICANCE: ANALYSIS OF THE UNIDENTIFIED MOTORIZED RIFLE DIVISION MRD HEADQUARTERED AT BREST ARMY BARRACKS SOUTHEAST AL 2 HAS LED TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THIS DIVISION IS A LOW-STRENGTH ACT-IVE TANK DIVISION. THE IDENTIFICATION OF THIS LOW-STRENGTH TANK DIVISION INDICATES THAT THE 28TH ARMY IS A TANK ARMY, RATHER THAN A COMBINED-ARMS ARMY. TANK DIVISIONS OF THE 28TH ARMY ARE AT GRODNO, SLONIM, AND BREST, AND A MOTORIZED RIFLE DIVISION IS ALSO AT BREST. 2. (SWN) REMARKS: THE DIVISION AND TWO AIR ASSAULT UNITS 25X1 AT BREST AL 2 WERE ENGAGED IN A PROBABLE MOBILIZATION EXERCISE. THE IDENTIFICATION OF THIS DIVISION AS A TANK DIVISION WAS BASED ON THE PRESENCE OF 10 MTU-20 TANK-LAUNCHED SCISSORS BRIDGES INSTEAD OF THE SIX USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH AN MRD. THREE MTU-20 (THE NORMAL COMPLEMENT FOR A TANK REGIMENT) WERE IN EACH OF TWO MANEUVER REGIMENTS AT BREST AL 2 (GRAPHIC 1) AND IN A THIRD MANEUVER REGIMENT AT BREST ARMY BARRACKS PUGACHEVO AL 6 (GRAPHIC 2). ONE OF THE TWO REGIMENTS AT BREST AL 2 HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY CONFIRMED AS A TANK REGIMENT. THE FIGHTING VEHICLES OF THE TWO REMAINING TANK REGIMENTS ARE KEPT IN COVERED STORAGE. THE DIVISION'S MOTORIZED RIFLE REGIMENT IS STORED IN THE OPEN AT BREST AL 2 (GRAPHIC 1). EQUIPMENT ROUTINELY OBSERVED HERE HAS INCLUDED 21 MEDIUM TANKS, 89 BTR-152 ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIERS, EIGHTEEN 122MM HOWITZERS D-30, AND ONE MTU-20. (SWN) DIVISIONAL TRAINING INCLUDED THE ANTIAIRCRAFT 25X1 ARTILLERY (AAA) REGIMENT, ONE TANK REGIMENT, AND ONE 122MM HOWITZER D-30 BATTALION. THE EQUIPMENT IN THE AAA REGIMENT INCLUDED 13 ANTIAIRCRAFT GUNS, 21 TRUCKS, AND 53 SQUAD TENTS IN THE REGIMENTAL VEHICLE PARK AT BREST AL 6 (GRAPHIC 2). THE 122MM HOWITZER D-30 BATTALION AND MAJOR ELEMENTS OF THE TANK REGIMENT AUGMENTED WITH A SECOND 122MM HOWITZER D-30 BATTALION WERE IN THE TRAINING AREA ADJACENT TO BREST AL 2 (NOT.ON GRAPHIC). AT LEAST 52 MEDIUM TANKS WERE WITHIN THE TRAINING AREA. A BIVOUAC CONTAINING 98 TENTS (FOUR LARGE AND 94 SQUAD SIZED) AND 27 TRUCKS WAS ALSO PRESENT. 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 NOTICE Intelligence Sources and Methods Involved SECRET 25X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/02 : CIA-RDP90T00784R000200390006-6 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/02 : CIA-RDP90T00784R000200390006-6 SECRET (c) NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER Page 2 of 2 Copy Attachment to Z-16065/82 NPIC/IEG 24 NOVEMBER 1982 (SWN) PROBABLE MOBILIZATION TRAINING WITHIN THE AIR ASSAULT BRIGADE.. (GRAPHIC 3) CONSISTED OF SEVEN BMD AIRBORNE AMPHIBIOUS FIGHTING VEHICLES, AT LEAST FIFTEEN 122MM HOWITZERS D-30, 79 GAZ-66 TRUCKS, AND 72 TRUCKS/VEHICLES OUTSIDE SHEDS IN THE BRIGADE VEHICLE PARK. ALSO, 10 PARACHUTES WERE BEING DRIED IN THIS AREA. A BIVOUAC CONTAINING 24 TENTS (FIVE LARGE, ONE MEDIUM, AND 18 SQUAD SIZED) AND THREE PROBABLE 122MM HOWITZERS D-30 IN BATTERY WAS IN THE ADJACENT BARRACKS AREAt_ (SWN) IN THE PROBABLY INDEPENDENT AIR ASSAULT BATTALION (GRAPHIC 1), 11 TENTS (TWO LARGE, ONE MEDIUM, AND EIGHT SQUAD SIZED) WERE IN THE BATTALION VEHICLE PARK IN ADDITION TO THE 14 BMD AND 12 GAZ-66 TRUCKS NORMALLY PRESENT. A POSSIBLE SIGNAL DEPLOYMENT CONSISTING OF THREE PROBABLE BMD, FOUR GAZ-66 TRUCKS, AND EIGHT TRUCKS/VEHICLES WAS IN THE ADJACENT BARRACKS AREA. AT LEAST 82 PARACHUTES WERE BEING DRIED IN A NEARBY PHYSICAL TRAINING AREA. (SWN) ANALYST'S COMMENTS -- SUPPORTED AN UNIDENTIFIED TANK DIVISION AND A MOTORIZED RIFLE DIVISION IN BREST DURING EXERCISE ZAPAD-72 IN LATE DECEMBER 1972. THE 50TH GUARDS MOTORIZED RIFLE DIVISION OF THE 28TH ARMY IS HOUSED AT BREST HQ GDS MTZ R DIV AL I. GIVEN THAT THE TANK DIVISION AT BREST AL 2 IS SUBORDINATE TO THE 28TH ARMY, THE 28T71 ARMY WOULD BE A TANK ARMY RATHER THAN A COMBINED-ARMS ARMY AS CURRENTLY ASSESSED. THIS WOULD BRING THE NUMBER OF TANK ARMIES IN THE BELORUSSIAN MILITARY DISTRICT TO THREE. IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED WHETHER THE CONCURRENT TRAINING OF THE NEWLY IDENTIFIED TANK DIVISION AND THE AIR ASSAULT UNITS REPRESENTED AN OPERATIONAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THESE UNITS. THE AIR. ASSAULT BRIGADE IS SUBORDINATE TO THE BELORUSSIAN MILITARY DISTRICT. THE SUBORDINATION OF THE AIR ASSAULT BATTALION IS NOT CERTAIN. 3. (S) COORDINATES 52-03-34N 023-44-06E COORDINATES 52-04-07N 023-45-31E COORDINATES 52-06-23N 023-40-35E 4. (SECRETa I COLLATERAL REFERENCES -- DIA, GROUND ORDER OF BATTLE -- USSR (U), DDB-1100-UR-81, JANUARY 1981 (SECRET/ 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 NOTICE Intelligence Sources and Methods Involved SECRET 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 25X1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/02 :CIA-RDP90T00784R000200390006-6 `~"~`-