MODIFICATION OF MISSILE TEST TOWER BEIJING GUIDED MISSILE PLANT NANYUAN, PRC

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T00250A000100800001-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 3, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: November 1, 1979
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/07/03: CIA-RDP80T00250A000100800001-6
Top Secret
Imagery analysis report
Modification of Missile Test Tower
Beijing Guided Missile Plant Nanyuan, PRC (TSR)
Top Secret
IAR-0033/79
NOVEMBER 1979
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MODIFICATION OF MISSILE TEST TOWER
BEIJING GUIDED MISSILE PLANT NANYUAN, PRC (TSR)
INTRODUCTION
1. ~ he Beijing (Pei-ching) Guided Missile Plant Nanyuan (Nan-yuan,
People's Republic of China (PRC), is 13.9 kilometers south of Beijing at the north end of the Beijing/
Nanyuan Airfield Figure 1). This large facility consists of numerous fabrication/assem-
bly halls, laboratory/engineering buildings, fuel laboratories, and a missile transshipment rail yard. All
of the PRC strategic missile systems have probably been assembled at this plant.' The First Research
Academy of the Seventh Ministry of Machine Industry, which is responsible for the production of
strategic missile airframes in the PRC, is also located here.'- The Beijing Guided Missile Development
Production Center Changxindian (Chang-hsin-tien; another major Chinese missile-
associated facility, is 21.3 kilometers west of the Nanyuan plant and is connected to it by road and rail.
2. (TSR) Modification of the missile test tower (Figure 2) at Beijing Guided Missile Plant Nan-
yuan began in 1978 and is nearly complete. Vertical dynamic testing of complete strategic missile
airframes is conducted within the tower, the only known missile test tower of its type in the PRC.
Completion of the modification will result in an improved capability for testing both current production
missiles and a follow-on missile system for the CSS-X-4/CSL-2.
BASIC DESCRIPTION
3. (TSR) Evidence of the current test
tower modification was first observed in mid-
June 1978 when the single-story instrumenta-
tion/support section enclosing the base of the
tower had been removed (Figures 3A and 3B).
Subsequently, reconstruction of the instrumen-
tation/support section into a larger three-story
configuration quadrupled the available floor-
space. An addition to the northern side of the
new instrumentation/support section contains
an portion. Three vertical tank
foundations of approximately
meters in diameter were observed within the
high portion (Figure 3C). Since only the circular
foundations were observed, accurate volumetric
figures could not be determined. Figure 3D shows
the modification nearly complete. Four nearby
support buildings, whose functions are unknown,
have been built to the north and northwest of the
tower.
4. (TSR) During the early stage of the
recent test tower modification, an unusual circu-
lar object was observed by the side of the con-
crete-surfaced roadway 30 meters northeast of the
test tower (Figure 4). This object may be a
component of the missile airframe support
base which the missile rests on during dynamic
testing. Four symmetrical cutouts were ob-
served in the probable component whose diam-
eters are similar to the visual estimate given for
the exhaust nozzle apertures for first-stage CSS-
X-4/CSL-2 rocket engines.' The results of mensu-
ration of the probable component suggest that
the four booster engine exhaust nozzles would fit
into the cutouts.
5. (TSR) An expansion program has been
underway throughout the Nanyuan missile plant
concurrently with the test tower modification.
Construction related to the expansion included
three laboratory/engineering buildings, nine sup-
port buildings, nine barracks, and a new, proba-
ble electronic test/calibration area that may be
missile related. Also, the power substation serving
the missile plant was being expanded. Including
the test tower modification, the expansion has
resulted in an approximate increase of 10,400
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Tyr Railroad, double track
-T Railroad, single track
Road
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square meters of floorspace for working and
3,500 square meters for living.
Background and Imagery
Analyst's Comments
6. The missile test tower at Nan-
yuan was originally built during 1962 through
1964.' At that time, the tower was approximately
high (Figure 5), which was adequate
to accommodate the CSS-2 and CSS-3 missile
airframes. Modification of the tower during 1968
through 1969 increased it to its present height of
approximately
doors are
hay access doors,
The test hay access
high.` The width of the test
has never been
changed. The 1968 modification presaged prod-
uction of the CSS-X-4/CSL-2 missile, which is
long and in diameter.
During November 1968, the CSS-X-4/CSL-2-as-
sociatcd, type-C missile rail transporter was first
identified in the transshipment rail yard at the
Nanyuan plant.' This identification was another
indication of forthcoming CSS-X-4/ CSL-2 mis-
sile production. CSS-X-4/CSL-2 road transport-
ers were first seen here in November 1970.
7. (TSR) The Chinese probably took into
consideration the site of future missile systems
during the 1968 modification. The test bay doors
were heightened and approximately 12 meters of
vertical clearance was allowed for the CSL-l and
the CSS-X-4/CSL-2, the two largest missile sys-
tems in production at that time. The 12 meters of
clearance could easily accommodate an add-on
third stage for the CSS-X-4/CSL-2 or a larger,
entirely new, launch vehicle. The 12 meters of
clearance includes 2 meters for the height of the
airframe support base in the tower.
8. (TSR) The addition of the three proba-
ble vertical tanks inside the high portion of the
instrumentation/support section of the test tower
(Figure 2) may indicate a new or increased capa-
bility for hydrostatic testing. Three small horizon-
tal cylinders observed at the north side of the
tower from 1967 to 1975 were the only previous
tanks thought to be associated with the test
tower.
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9. (TSR) Information concerning a new
first-stage booster for a launch vehicle could
possibly he derived from the appearance of a
different-sized support base component for the
test hay. Return of the probable component that
was observed by the side of the road (Figure 4) to
the test tower would suggest the intention of
testing a launch vehicle with CSS-X-4/CSL-2 first
and second stages with an add-on third stage.
10. (TSR) CSS-X-4/CSL-2 (irst- or second-
stage road transporters have not been observed at
the Nanyuan plant since prior to
the start of the latest test tower modification.
Before that date, CSS-X-4/CSL-2 road transport-
ers had been consistently observed near the test
tower or the western rail-served fabrication/as-
sembly hall. Any CSS-X-4/CSL-2 airframes as-
sembled after mid-June 1978 would not have been
dynamically tested at the Nanyuan test tower.
However, observations of type-C missile rail
transporters have continued sporadically both in
the transshipment rail yard and on the rail spur
serving the western fabrication/assembly hall.
I I. (TSR) New or modified missile rail or
road transporters have not been identified con-
currently with the test tower modification. A
speculative explanation for the absence of new
missile rail or road transporters is that the antici-
pated third stage for a new space launch vehicle
might be borrowed from an already existing
system, such as the CSS-3 second stage, in lieu of
the liquid hydrogen-liquid oxygen third stage
which has experienced continuing development
problems! The CSS-X-4/CSL-2 would provide
first- and second-stage boosters. Should these
circumstances occur, upgrading of the test tower
diagnostic equipment would be necessary, not
development of new-type missile rail or road
transporters.
12. (TSR) Extensive expansion at the Bei-
jing Guided Missile Production Center Changxin-
dian suggests that an entirely new liquid pro-
pellant missile system is probably under develop-
ment but will not reach the production phase for
several years.' Any new liquid propellant missile
system in the planning or development stage will
be no larger than that allowed by the dimensions
of the vertical test tower at Nanyuan. Otherwise,
the Chinese would have enlarged the test hay
during the latest modification. A vertical missile
test tower has not been identified in the area of
the Shanghai (Shang-hai) Guided Missile Pro-
duction Plant Minhang (Min-hang:
the only other facility in the PRC
known to produce components of the CSS-X-
4/CSL-2.
13. (TSR) In summary, the latest modifica-
tion of the Nanvuan test tower indicates an
improved and expanded testing capability. The
increase in working floorspace for the instrumen-
tation/support section of the test tower probably
was the result of two factors, the requirement to
test a third stage for the CSS-X-4/CSL-2 and the
development or acquisition of more sophisticated
testing and diagnostic equipment. Any missile
system to be tested in the newly configured tower
cannot be significantly larger in diameter but can
be up to 12 meters higher than the CSS-X-
4/CSL-2. Although the external modification is
almost complete, the test tower will probably not
become operational until new test support equip-
ment can be installed and checked Out.
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(TSR) All applicable KEYHOLE imagery acquired between 25X1
3. Covault, Craig. "U.S. Team Towers China Space Facilities," Aviation Week and Space Terhnologv, Vol 110,
No 26, 25 Jun 79 (UNCLASSIFIED)
Production. Jan 71 (TOP SECRET
was used in the preparation of this report. ZOJC-I
6, Pei-thing Guided Missile Plant Nauruan, Oct 75 (TOP SECRET
2. CIA. SR IR 71-1, The Seventh Ministry: Communist China's Organization for Afis.cile
4. NPIC. RCA-09 0003 69 Pekin Gui n. Sep 68 (TOP SECRET
5. NPIC.
Mi.c.ccle Development and Production Center, Chang-hsin-tier, PRC ITSRI. 17 Aug 78 (TOP SECRET
RCA-09/0015/70, Peking Guided Missile Plant Nani'uan, Jun 70 (TOP SECRET
7. NPlC.I IIR-057/78, Evpansion of Propulsion Development Capability at Pei-thing Guided
(S) Comments and queries regarding this report are welcome. They
Asian Forces Division, Imagery Exploitation Group, NPIC,
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