SPECIAL-PURPOSE AIRCRAFT AT SOVIET AVIATION AIRFIELDS IN THE USSR, EAST EUROPE, AND MONGOLIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78B07179A000100330001-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 22, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: August 1, 1978
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/02/22 : CIA-RDP78BO7179A000100330001-2
Top Secret
NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC
INTERPRETATION CENTER
PHOTOGRAPHIC
INTERPRETATION
REPORT
SPECIA-L-PURPOSE AIRCRAFT AT
SOVIET AVIATION AIRFIELDS
IN THE USSR, EAST EUROPE,
AND MONGOLIA (S)
PIR-036/78
AUGUST1978
Copy 13 3
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/02/22 : CIA-RDP78BO7179A000100330001-2
Top Secret RUFF UMBRA
SPECIAL-PURPOSE AIRCRAFT AT SOVIET AVIATION AIRFIELDS
IN THE USSR, EAST EUROPE, AND MONGOLIA (S)
1. (TSR) This report provides an imagery-derived analysis of special-purpose CAT
(AN-10) and CURL (AN-26) aircraft and special-purpose HOOK (MI-6) and HIP C (MI-
8) helicopters identified on KEYHOLE imagery at 35 Soviet aviation airfields. These
airfields are in the USSR, OCzechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, and Mongo-
lia. It is postulated in this report that these aircraft are used as airborne command
posts/radio-relay platforms.
2. (U) This report contains a location map, a table, and four annotated photo-
graphs.
3. (TSR) Figure 1 shows the locations of the 35 Soviet aviation airfields in the
USSR, East Europe, and Mongolia where special-purpose aircraft have been identified.
Table 1 lists the airfields by military district or country and shows the type of special-
purpose aircraft deployed at each.
4. (TSR) The special-purpose CAT aircraft was identified on KEYHOLE imagery
at six Soviet aviation airfields in the USSR (Table 1). The special-purpose CAT differs
from the standard CAT by the addition of the following items of equipment visible
on satellite imagery: at least one very-high-frequency (VHF) blade antenna dorsally
mounted on the fuselage forward of the wing, two VHF blade antennas dorsally mounted
on the fuselage aft of the wing, and one dorsally mounted wire antenna on the starboard
side of the fuselage aft of the wing (Figure 2).
5. (TSR) The special-purpose CURL aircraft was identified on KEYHOLE imagery
at 19 Soviet aviation airfields in the USSR, Hungary, and Poland (Table 1). The special-
purpose CURL differs from the standard CURL by the addition of the following items of
equipment visible on satellite imagery: two offset VHF blade antennas dorsally mounted
on the fuselage forward of the wing, two offset VHF blade antennas dorsally mounted on
the fuselage aft of the wing, and one unidentified antenna/patch mounted on the tip of
the vertical stabilizer (Figure 3).
6. (TSR) The special-purpose HOOK helicopter was identified on KEYHOLE im-
agery at 22 Soviet aviation airfields in the USSR, 0 Hungary, Czechoslo-
vakia, and Mongolia (Table 1). The special-purpose HOOK differs from the standard
HOOK by the addition of the following items of equipment visible on satellite imagery:
two unidentified pods mounted on the lower starboard side of the fuselage and four
VHF blade antennas in an X-shaped pattern (two dorsally mounted and two ventrally
mounted) on the tail boom just forward of the horizontal stabilizer (Figure 4).
-1-
Top Secret
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/02/22 : CIA-RDP78BO7179AO00100330001-2
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