IMAGERY ANALYSIS MONTHLY REVIEW

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T00913A000100780001-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 19
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 18, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: February 1, 1980
• Content Type: REPORT

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National Top Secret
~~ Y. NCf
Foreign
Assessment
Center
Imagery Analysis
Monthly Review
February 1980
Top Secret
IS MR 80- 002J
March 1980
Copy 10 8
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National
Foreign
Assessment
Center
Imagery Analysis
Monthly Review
February 1980
This publication of the Office of Imagery Analysis contains
substantive findings and analytical judgments that were
derived principally from analysis of imagery. Although
information from other sources of intelligence may be in-
cluded for background, this publication does not reflect an
all-source assessment and has not been formally coordinated
within CIA. (U)
Comments and queries on the contents of this publication
are welcomed. They should be directed to the analyst whose
name and green line extension appear after each article. (U)
IS MR R0.0091
March 1980
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Soviets Construct Specialized The Soviets have constructed
Driver Training Areas at specialized driver training areas at
SS-20 Bases several SS-20 bases. These
appear to be designed
to train drivers of the SS-20
TEL and other launch-related vehicles
2 Air Defense Tracking/Fire The correlation of imagery analysis
Control System Under Development indicates
at Sosnovyy Bor, USSR that a facility at Sosnovyy Bor is
developing military
5 First Test Flight of
Soviet Typhoon Missile
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including an air
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defense tracking/fire control system.
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Imagery confirms that the first
test flight of a Typhoon missile
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occurred at the
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Nenoksa Missile Test Center.
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6 Self-Propelled Tracked MRLs Tracked multiple rocket launchers,
Recently Identified In China recently identified on satellite
imagery of China, appear to be
similar to 130-mm MRLs shown
in a Chinese magazine. Apparently
the Chinese have produced only
a limited number of these weapons.
capability of these units.
New Generation Chinese Missile New four-axle vehicles, recently
Ground Support Equipmen~ identified with some Chinese IRBM units,
probably will improve the off-road
mobility and load carrying
8 Anechoic Research Chamber A building which likely contains
Identified in China
an anechoic chamber has been identified
at Nanjiang University.
9 New Explosives Plant Identified A new explosives plant has been identified
in EgypF___~ under construction near Cairo. It will give
Egypt the capability to produce composite
propellants.
New North Korean DMZ
Defense Barrier
DMZ defenses.
to be part of a massive effort
to strengthen the North's static
Recent photography shows that
North Korea has nearly finished
construction of a defensive barrier
along the Han estuary opposite
South Korea. This barrier appears
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Top Secret
Soviets Construct Specialized Driver
Training Areas at SS-20 Bases
The Soviets have constructed specialized vehicle
driver training areas at five SS-20 mobile IRBM
bases, and there are indications that they will soon
be constructed at others. These areas appear to be
designed to train drivers of the SS-20 transporter-
erector-launchers (TELs) and other launch-related
vehicles in entering and exiting garages and in
aligning the vehicles in presurveyed areas prior to
launch. These training areas could be used to main-
tain driver proficiency of existing personnel or for
the initial training of newly assigned personnel.
However, it is unclear why these areas have only
recently begun to be constructed as some of the SS-
20 bases have been considered to be operational for
over 15 months.
There are two types of specialized training areas.
One type consists of building facades with building
outlines on the ground for a sliding-roof building
(SRB) and a single bay of a three-bay garage.
Training areas of this type were identified on 24
January 1980 imagery at Drovyanaya Mobile IRBM
Bases 1, 2 and 3. The other type consists of graded
areas where leveled impressions have been made in
the ground for the placement of the TEL's leveling
and suspension isolation jacking plates. Training
areas of this type were identified at Drovyanaya
Mobile IRBM Base 3 nd at 2FY1
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Top Secret
RUFF ZARF
Air Defense Tracking/Fire Control
System Under Development at
Sosnovyy Bor, USSR
Imagery analysis of an RDT&E facility at Sosno-
vyy Bor, located 70 kilometers west of Leningrad,
indicates that components of an air defense track-
ing/fire control system have been undergoing tests
for the past two years. The correlation of imagery
physical
facilities, and subordination of the Sosnovyy Bor
facility indicates that the facility is designed to de-
velop passive and low-power active electro-optical
devices for the Soviet military. Sosnovyy
Bor is a branch of the State Optical Institute inn
Vavilov which is a scientific research institute sub-
ordinate to the Ministry of Defense
Industry
Construction of the Sosnovyy Bor facility began by
early 1965 and has continued at an increased pace
since 1973. It consists of an R&D area, the linear
test range 2,600 meters long, and a fan-shaped test
range 650 meters long.
The R&D area consists primarily of laboratories
and administrative, engineering/assembly, and
support buildings. It is probably involved with
specialized design, fabrication, and testing of com-
ponents such as semiconductors, lenses, and mirrors
for electro-optical and laser devices. One building
located in this section may contain a test chamber
used to simulate dynamic engagements during the
evaluation of guidance and control systems and
An active test program under way on a linear range
at Sosnovyy Bor since May 1978 has involved a de-
vice mounted in a railcar and a target airframe
mounted on a dolly at the end of the range. The
airframe has been positioned at various aspect
angles to the railcar. Standard Soviet modulation
transfer function targets, used to evaluate scanning
imaging systems, are mounted on a reference panel
located 33 meters behind the target airframe and a
radial target is mounted on a nearby tower.F__1
devices such as optical and infrared seekers.
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Top Secret
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First Tgst Flighi_of Soviet Typhoon
Missile
test flight of a Typhoon missile occurred
from Launch Facility D at the Ne-
noksa Missile Test Center. The Typhoon missile is
thought to be a three-stage solid propellant missile
that the Soviets are developing for deployment on
the Typhoon submarine. The first Typhoon subma-
rine is currently under construction at the Severo-
dvinsk Shipyard. Although early indications are
that this first missile malfunctioned and impacted
only 1, 700 nautical miles downrange, it is estimated
to have a design range of at least 4,000 nautical
miles.
the cover had been removed from the missile erec-
tor at Launch Facility D, and that both the erector
and launch tube cap were cleared of snow--indicat-
ing that the Typhoon missile had already been
loaded into the launch tubs'
flatcar with 'a launch tube maintenance hoist that
were in Launch Facility D had been
removed
Launches from Nenoksa are the second phase in
the three-phase development cycle for new naval
missiles. The first phase--the underwater launch or
"pop-up" testing for the missile--started for the Ty-
phoon missile in early 1978 and was completed by
mid-1979 in the Black Sea at Balaklava Missile Test
Center. Following the pop-up testing, the land-
based flight tests, such as the one 25X1
take place from Nenoksa. About the time the tests 25X1
are completed at Nenoksa, the missile will be sea
launched from a modified test submarine. Assum- 25X1
ing no major problems occur, we expect this third
phase in the missile development cycle to begin
sometime in late 198 1.
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obtained about I I hours after the launch showed
evidence of burn activity on the roof of the launch
building. In addition, both a large crane and"a
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Top Secret
Self-Propelled Tracked MRLs
Recently Identified
in Chinal
What appear to be 130-mm multiple rocket launch-
ers (MRLs) mounted on a tracked chassis were
recently identified on satellite photography of
northern China. The tracked self-propelled MRLs
are very similar to those shown in the PLA Picto-
rial and in Conniilit, a military magazine published
in Hong Kong. Coninilit identified the weapon sys-
tem as the 19-tube, 130-mm MRL mounted on an
M-1967 armored personnel carrier. chassis. The
tracked MRLs seen on satellite photography have
measurements which closely conform to the know
dimensions of the 130-mm MRL pod and the M-
1967 chassis. Previously, the 130-mm MRL was
thought to exist only in a truck-mounted ver-
sion
These MRLs, along with tracked self-propelled
howitzers first identified on overhead photograph
since the early 1970s. The artillery regiment at Xin-
cheng is subordinated to an armored division and
appears to be organized into two 18-gun howitzer
battalions and an 18-launcher 130-mm MRL battalion.
A few additional tracked MRLs also may be pre-
sent, but it could not be determined if they are the
same as the 130-mm MRL.
Production and deployment of both types of vehi-
cles apparently occurred in the early 1970s. No
additional deployment has been detected since No-
vember 1973, suggesting the Chinese may have pro-
duced only enough vehicles to form one regiment.
They may have decided to concentrate their limited
tracked vehicle production capacity on tanks and
APCs or they may have expe technical prob-
lems with the weapon systems.
in early 1978, are deployed in an artillery regiment
at Xincheng. This regiment is the only known
tracked artillery unit in China. A review of previ-
ous imagery of the Xincheng area indicates that
both types of weapons have been deployed here
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Top Secret
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New Generation Chinese Missile
Ground Support Equipment F_
New generation four-axle vehicles recently have
been identified with some Chinese IRBM units.
These vehicles are probably intended to improve
the off-road mobility and load carrying capability
of the IRBM units. They are being used as prime
movers, propellant transporters, and launch stand
transporters.
These vehicles are very similar to a four-axle, cab-
over-engine prime mover shown in a photograph
released by the Chinese in 1974, and in all likeli-
hood have the same performance characteristics.
The vehicle shown in the photograph is about 1
meter longer than the one seen with the IRBM
units, has a double cab over engine, and has two
wheels on each front axle and four wheels on each
New Generation Chinese
Four-axle Prime Mover (u)
of the two rear axles. It is reported to have a 500-
horsepower en ine and apparently was designed as
a prime mover. ~ 25X1
Photographs of the four-axle vehicle have been re-
leased by the Chinese several times since 1974, and
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hicle plants. However, we have not observed the
vehicle being produced at any of these
plants. F_~ 25X1
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Top Secret
Identified in China
A building which likely contains an anechoic cham-
ber has been identified on satellite imagery of the
Nanjiang University. Anechoic chambers are reflec-
tion-free environments in which antenna radiation
patterns can be studied. They may also be used for
sound propagation studies. Anechoic chambers are
necessary for the study and development of sophis-
ticated electronics equipment.
The existence of an anechoic chamber at Nanjiang
was revealed in a 1979 issue of China Pictorial.
This is probably also the same chamber that was
reported in Chinese scientific publications to have
internal dimensions of 13.7 by 1.1 by 9.0 meters
and radio-signal-absorbing walls 1.2 meters thick.
Anechoic Chamber,
Nanjiang University, China
7Ti
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4 At Nanjiang Uni-
versity, a windowless building that is about 32 me-
ters long, 19 meters wide and 13 meters high proba-
bly contains the anechoic chamber pictured in the
Chinese publication. F__1
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Top Secret
_RVEEF
New Ex losives Plant Identified in
Egyp
A new Egyptian explosives production plant in a
mid-to-late stage of construction has been identified
on imagery of late October 1979. This plant,
Egypt's second major explosives production plant,
appears to be designed to produce nitroglycerin,
single/double-base propellants, and composite pro-
pellants. The new plant is located about 10 kilome-
ters north-northeast of Cairo and is near Egypt's
other major explosive plant, Abu Zabal Explosives
Plant MF 18. Plant MF 18 produces military
propellants and industrial explosives.
In recent years Egypt has attempted to expand its
arms production industry. The completion of this
new plant, probably by late 1980, will give the
Egyptians the capability to produce composite
propellants, which could be used as fuel for various
types of missiles including antitank, air-to-surface,
surface-to-air, and tactical surface-to-
surface.
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Top Secret
Barrier
Recent photography shows that North Korea has
nearly finished the construction of a defensive bar-
rier along the Han estuary opposite South Korea.
Construction of the barrier began by August 1979
and appears to be part of a massive effort to
strengthen the North's static DMZ defenses. On the
segments covered by satellite imagery, the barrier
forms a continuous defensive line, except where
terrain is so steep that it serves as a natural ob-
struction to vehicles.
For years North Korea has placed heavy emphasis
on its forward defenses. Elaborate underground fa-
cilities have been constructed to support its large
force of infantry and fire support units deployed
along the Han estuary and elsewhere in the forward
zone. This active defense was augmented near the
DMZ by constructing antitank barriers in stream-
beds--the points most vulnerable to an attack. But
no attempt had been made to form these isolated
obstacles into a continuous barrier like the new
defense line.
The barrier consists of segments of various types
configured to deny passage to a mechanized inva-
sion force. In low flat areas the barrier consists of a
trench or trench and earthen wall combination,
and, where the terrain is hilly, steep escarpments
have been cut along the slope. Existing dams have
been incorporated into the barrier. Some sections
of the barrier have been reinforced with what ap-
pears to be stone or masonry. Measures are also
under way to install obstructive devices where
streams and roads cut through the barrier. Drag-
on's teeth have been observed in at least one
streambed, and drop blocks are bein emplaced
along roads that intersect the barrier.
Recent satellite coverage shows this barrier extend-
ing along the Han estuary from the Yesong River
to the western terminus of the DMZ, a distance of
over 30 kilometers. There are indications it may
eventually be extended to other areas of the DMZ.
Six kilometers of barrier construction was observed
immediately west of the Imjin River--the only other
section of the DMZ covered on recent satellite im-
agery. In addition, several US military reports also
indicate the North Koreans are strengthening the
barrier defenses elsewhere along the DMZ.
It is unclear why North Korea perceives a need for
these new defensive barriers. Certainly, the South's
armed forces have not recently shown major im-
provement in their offensive capability. However,
the South has been building an antitank barrier
system on their side of the DMZ for over a year,
and the North' me of defense may be in
response to this
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Top Secret
New Defensive Barrier
Along Korean DMZ[-
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Top S~crpt
RILE-
New OIA Publications
The following reports have been puhlished by the Office of Imagery Analysis since the last issue of' the
Imagery Analysis 11onthh' Reriew.
Imagery Research Papers
2. IS 80-I0009J Soviet T-72 Tank Production, January 1980 (Top Secret RUFF
Imagery Analysis Memorandums
1. IS 80-10021, Oilfield Development Near Dagang (Ta-kang), China (Secret
Poland's Petroleum Refining Industry, January 1980 (Top Secret RUFF 25X1
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2. IS 80-I0025K, Urban Area Size, Land Use Data, Industrial Clusters, and Civil Defense 25X1
Training Sites in 57 Soviet Cities (Top Secret RUFF 25X1
3. IS 80-10023K,
Construction Status of Iniported Annnonia Plants in the Soviet Union
(Top Secret RUFF)
4. IS 80-10008K
Secret RUFF
5. IS 80-10013JX,
Secret RUFF
SnecialLuesigned Support Buildings for the SS-18 ICBM System (Top
Evidence of Fire at Pechora Ballistic Missile Early Warning Radar (Top
6. IS 80-10015K~ Differences Between the Original and the Modified Type IIIX Launch
Control Facilities at Soviet ICBM Complexes (Top Secret RUFF
Analysis of the SS-18 ICBM Umbilical Frame (Top Secret RUFF
IS 80-10026K,
Possible Calibration Device Identified for 64-Element Telemetry Array
10. IS 80-10016K, Photographic Assessment of Changes at the Makat at ASM Impact Area,
May 1976 Through May 1979 (Top Secret RUFF)
RUFF)
~hode.sia'.s Armor Inventory (Top Secret
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13. IS 80-I0027K Soviet Brigade Activity in Cuba--18 December 1979 through 3 February
1980 (Top Secret RUFF)
RUFF
Status of Surface-to-Air Missile Sites in Ethiopia (Top Secret RUFF)
Recent Trends and Improvements in Soviet Signals Equipment (Top Secret
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Top Secret
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