SCALEBOARD ACTIVITY USSR(SANITIZED)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91T00712R000100140003-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 15, 2011
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: November 4, 1983
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/15: CIA-RDP91T00712R000100140003-5
SCALEBOARD ACTIVITY,
UMANIA
I YEMILCHINO
Perm
?Kostroma
;fit
?
Vladimir
?Tambov
Voronezh. Saratov?
Dnepropetrovsk
TBILISI
Z-14209 NPIC/IEG (11/83) 1 OF 2 Yerevan
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/15: CIA-RDP91T00712R000100140003-5
Kuybyshev
Volgograd
(Stalingrad)
? ?Kapustin Yar
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(Security Classification)
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CONTROL NO. Z-14209/83
NPIC/IEG (11/83)
COPY OF
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Intelligence Sources or Methods Involved
NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION
Unauthorized Disclosure Subject to Criminal Sanctions
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(Security Classification)
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Unauthorized Disclosure Subject to Criminal Sanctions
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(c) NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER
Page 1 of 3 Attachment to Z-14209/83
Copy NPIC/IEG (11/83)
4 NOVEMBER 1983
SCALEBOARD ACTIVITY
USSR (SWN).
1. SIGNIFICANCE: AN UNUSUALLY HIGH LEVEL OF ACTIVITY HAS BEEN
SEEN IN OCTOBER AT GARRISONS AND TRAINING AREAS ASSOCIATED WITH
FOUR SOVIET SCALEBOARD BRIGADES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE REAR
SERVICES UNITS. THESE BRIGADES ARE IN BORDER MILITARY
DISTRICTS (MD) EXTENDING FROM THE BALTIC MD TO THE
TRANSCAUCASUS MD (GRAPHIC 1). (SWN)
2. REMARKS: THE ACTIVITY MAY REFLECT A CONCERTED SOVIET EFFORT TO
ENSURE A HIGH DEGREE OF COMBAT READINESS OF ARMAMENT,
EQUIPMENT, AND PERSONNEL OF THIS OPERATIONAL-TACTICAL MISSILE
SYSTEM. A SERIES OF INSPECTIONS AND MISSILE-TECHNICAL
EXERCISES IN OR NEAR GARRISONS HAS INCREASED THE PREPAREDNESS
OF SCALEBOARD LAUNCH AND REAR SERVICES UNITS. THERE IS,
HOWEVER, NO CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE THAT ANY SCALEBOARD BRIGADE HAS
DEPARTED ITS NORMAL GARRISON AREA. ATYPICALLY THE SOVIETS HAVE
MADE LIMITED ATTEMPTS TO CONCEAL THE LARGE-SCALE ACTIVITY.
THIS MAY AT LEAST PARTLY, BE INTENDED TO CONDUCT A
DEMONSTRATION OF SCALEBOARD READINESS FOR THE BENEFIT OF
WESTERN INTELLIGENCE ANALYSTS. (SWN)
ALTHOUGH SOME CAMOUFLAGING OF SCALEBOARD LAUNCHERS HAS BEEN
EVIDENT, MAJOR ELEMENTS OF THE BRIGADES AND MOBILE TECHNICAL
ROCKET BASES (PRTB) HAVE BEEN EXPOSED; THIS IS A MAJOR
DEVIATION FROM THE STRICT IN-GARRISON SECURITY MEASURES
NORMALLY EXHIBITED BY THE SOVIET SHORT-RANGE BALLISTIC MISSILE
(SRBM) FORCE. IN TWO INSTANCES AT CHERNYAKHOVSK ON
AND AT YEMILCHINO SCALEBOARD BRIGADES WERE
PARADED AT FULL STRENGTH. FIFTEEN CONFIRMED AND PROBABLE
SCALEBOARD LAUNCHERS WERE IN THE CHERNYAKHOVSK FORMATION AND 18
PROBABLE LAUNCHERS WERE IN THE YEMILCHINO FORMATION. THIS IS
THE FIRST FIRM EVIDENCE THAT THE NUMBER OF LAUNCHERS IN
SCALEBOARD BRIGADES EXCEEDS 12 AND MAY BE COMPARABLE TO THE 18
LAUNCHERS STANDARD IN FRONT-LEVEL SCUD BRIGADES. (SWN)
These notes have been prepared for briefing purposes only and should not be used for detailed analytical 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
OR METHODS INVOLVED
')FX'I
25X1
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Page 2 of
Copy
(c) NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER
Attachment to Z-14209/83
NPIC/IEG (11/83)
4 NOVEMBER 1983
A SUMMARY OF ACTIVITY IN SCALEBOARD BRIGADE INSTALLATIONS IN
THE WESTERN AND SOUTHWESTERN MD'S FOLLOWS:
BALTIC MD -- THE GARRISON OF THE SCALEBOARD BRIGADE AND
PRTB AT CHERNYAKHOVSK WAS IMAGED THREE TIMES IN LATE OCTOBER.
MAJOR ELEMENTS OF THE BRIGADE AND PRTB WERE 25X1
EXERCISING WITHIN THE INSTALLATION: FOUR SCALEBOARD LAUNCHERS
AND THEIR ADJACENT URAL-375 LAUNCH SUPPORT VANS WERE NET
COVERED. NO ATTEMPT HAD BEEN MADE TO CAMOUFLAGE OTHER
LAUNCHERS AND RESUPPLY VEHICLES THAT WERE ALSO ENGAGED IN
MISSILE-TECHNICAL EXERCISES. THE ENTIRE BRIGADE 25X1
AND ELEMENTS OF THE PRTB WERE IN AN INSPECTION FORMATION
(NP,IC/PEG BRIEFING BOARD Z-15581, (10/83) UNUSUAL SCALEBOARD
ACTIVITY, CHERNYAKHOVSK ARMY BARRACKS NORTH AL-3 Oryi
WITHIN THE GARRISON. THIRTEEN CONFIRMED AND TWO PROBABLE 25X1
SCALEBOARD LAUNCHERS WERE IN BATTALION CONFIGURATION WITH FIVE
LAUNCHERS IN EACH BATTALION. SEVEN SCALEBOARD RESUPPLY
VEHICLES, PROBABLY FROM THE PRTB, WERE ALSO SEEN: NONE OF THESE
HAD UPLOADED MISSILE CANISTERS. THE BRIGADE FORMATION HAD
LARGELY DISPERSED BY 30 OCTOBER; HOWEVER, TWO LAUNCHERS, AT
LEAST FIVE RESUPPLY VEHICLES, AND 52 OTHER VEHICLES WERE SEEN,
INDICATING THAT THE BRIGADE WAS PROBABLY STILL IN GARRISON.
(SWN)
BELORUSSIAN MD -- THE SCALEBOARD BRIGADE GARRISON AT
LAPICHI WAS COVERED THREE TIMES IN OCTOBER. LIMITED ACTIVITY
WAS SEEN. INCLUDING ONE SCALEBOARD-ASSOCIATED MAZ-535/537 CRANE
THE CURRENT STATUS OF THIS BRIGADE IS
(SWN)
CARPATHIAN MD -- THE SCALEBOARD BRIGADE AT YEMILCHINO WAS
DEPLOYED TO ITS NEARBY TRAINING AREA THE BRIGADE 25X1
.WAS STILL PRESENT WHEN THE TRAINING AREA 7F.X1
THE VEHICLE STORAGE'BUILDINGS AT THE 25X1
GARRISON WERE UNDERGOING RENOVATION THROUGH OCTOBER: HOWEVER,
EXTENSIVE CONSTRUCTION AT OTHER SRBM INSTALLATIONS HAS BEEN
CARRIED OUT IN THE PAST WITHOUT ELEMENTS OF THE LAUNCH UNITS
BEING SO EXPOSED TO OBSERVATION. TWELVE SCALEBOARD 25X1
LAUNCHERS/RESUPPLY VEHICLES WERE PRESENT. EIGHTEEN PROBABLE
These notes have been prepared for briefing purposes only and should not be used for detailed analytical 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
OR METHODS INVOLVED
SECRET
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/15: CIA-RDP91T00712R000100140003-5
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/15: CIA-RDP91T00712R000100140003-5
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(c) NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER
Page 3 of 3 Attachment to Z-14209/83
Copy NPIC/IEG (11/83)
4 NOVEMBER 1983
LAUNCHERS WERE IN THE FORMATION IN A 25X1
THREE-BATTALION CONFIGURATION -- SIX PROBABLE LAUNCHERS (EACH
WITH AN ADJACENT URAL-375 LAUNCH SUPPORT VAN), ONE PROBABLE
SCALEBOARD RESUPPLY VEHICLE, AND THREE CRANES WERE IN EACH
BATTALION GROUPING. AN ADDITIONAL FIVE PROBABLE RESUPPLY
VEHICLES WITH UPLOADED MISSILE CANISTERS FROM THE BRIGADE'S
ORGANIC MISSILE-TECHNICAL SUBUNITS WERE PRESENT. THE PRTB AT
KIVERTSY THAT MAY SUPPORT THE YEMILCHINO BRIGADE WAS IMAGED
TWICE IN OCTOBER. ONE HIP HELICOPTER, 16 25X1
PROBABLE WARHEAD VANS, AND SEVEN SCALEBOARD RESUPPLY VEHICLES
(ONE WITH UPLOADED MISSILE CANISTER) WERE SEEN. (SWN)
ODESSA MD -- THE SIMFEROPOL SCALEBOARD GARRISON WAS IMAGED
FOUR TIMES IN OCTOBER. ONE LAUNCH BATTALION AND 25X1
MAJOR ELEMENTS OF THE PRTB WERE IN AN INSPECTION FORMATION IN A
FIELD ADJACENT TO THE INSTALLATION. THE'FORMATION WAS
DISPERSING ALTHOUGH MANY THE VEHIC .. WERE 25X1
STILL PRESENT. A LOW 25X1
LEVEL OF ACTIVITY IN THE SCALEBOARD BRIGADE AND PRTB AREAS.
(SWN)
TRANSCAUCASUS MD -- THE SCALEBOARD BRIGADE GARRISON AT
TBILISI WAS ACTIVE ON ALL THREE OCTOBER COVERAGES. ONE
SCALEBOARD LAUNCHER AND THREE MAZ-535/537 CRANES WERE IN FRONT
OF VEHICLE STORAGE BUILDINGS FOUR 25X1
PROBABLE CAMOUFLAGED SCALEBOARD LAUNCHERS WERE SEEN. A HIGH
LEVEL OF ACTIVITY WAS EVIDENT WHEN SEVEN 25X1
LAUNCHERS, FIVE RESUPPLY VEHICLES, FOUR MAZ CRANES, AND 50
OTHER BRIGADE VEHICLES WERE OUT OF STORAGE. THE GARRISON HAD
RECENTLY UNDERGONE AN EXTENSIVE RENOVATION AND EXPANSION OF
VEHICLE STORAGE FACILITIES. AN UNUSUALLY HIGH LEVEL OF
ACTIVITY WAS UNDERWAY CONCURRENTLY AT THE VAZIANI GARRISON OF
THE PRTB SUPPORTING THE BRIGADE (ALSO IN THE TBILISI AREA). ON
WARHEAD VANS, SCALEBOARD RESUPPLY VEHICLES, 25X1
AND MAZ CRANES WERE ENGAGED IN MISSILE-TECHNICAL TRAINING;
THERE WAS NO INDICATION HOWEVER OF WARHEAD OR MISSILE
25X1
25X1
COORDINATES 50-52-08N 027-53-10E (S) 25X1
These notes have been prepared for briefing purposes only and should not be used for detailed analytical 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
OR METHODS INVOLVED
SECRET
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/15: CIA-RDP91T00712R000100140003-5