PROBABLE RADAR ON UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT EMBA MISSILE TEST CENTER LAUNCH COMPLEX, USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81T00618R000100870001-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 1, 2009
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: June 29, 1981
• Content Type: REPORT

Al
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/01 : CIA-RDP81T00618R000100870001-3
"
)ROUTING
TO:
NAME A
ND ADDRESS
DATE I
NITIALS
2
3
4
ACTION
DIRECT REPLY
PREPARE REPLY
APPROVAL
DISPATCH
RECOMMENDATION
COMMENT
FILE
RETURN
CONCURRENCE
INFORMATION
SIGNATURE.
REMARKS:
FROM: NAME, ADDRESS, AND PHONE NO.
DATE
SECRET
(Security Classification)
CONTROL NO. Z /
Warning Notice
Intelligence Sources and Methods Involved
NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION
Unauthorized Disclosure Subject to Criminal Sanctions
SECRET
(Security Classification)
-- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/01 : CIA-RDP81T00618R000100870001-3
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/01 : CIA-RDP81T00618R000100870001-3
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/01 : CIA-RDP81T00618R000100870001-3
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/01: CIA-RDP81T00618R000100870001-3
(c) NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER
Page 1 of 2
Copy
Attachment to Z-11285/3i
NPIC/IEG
29 JUNE 1981
PROBABLE RADAR ON UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT
EMBA MISSILE TEST CENTER LAUNCH COMPLEX, USSR
1.(S/D) SIGNIFICANCE: A PROBABLE RADAR HAS BEEN OBSERVED ON THE
UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT AT PAD B-1, EMBA MISSILE TEST CENTER LAUNCH
COMPLEX.
2. (S/D) REMARKS: I IA PROBABLE 25X1
TRUNCATED PARABOLIC ANTENNA SCREEN WAS OBSERVED ON THE UNIDENTI-
FIED OBJECT AT PAD B-1 LAUNCH AREA B OF THE EMBA MISSILE TEST
CENTER LAUNCH COMPLEX THE PROBABLE ANTENNA WAS 25X1
ERECTED AND IN MOTION ON ONE END OF THE UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT WHICH
WAS MOUNTED ON A PLATFORMM. -MENSURATION OF THE ANTENNA SCREEN
SHADOW REVEALED A LONG AXIS DIMENSION OF APPROXIMATELY 25X1
METERS. NO SHORT AXIS DIMEI 1SION.COULD BE OBTAINED. IN ADDITION,
THE ANTENNA SCREEN IS.PROBABLY SOLID IN CONSTRUCTION WITH NO
DISCERNIBLE FEED STRUCTURE.. THE RADAR MAY HAVE BEEN PRESENT AS
EARLY AS , VIHE14 THE UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT WAS FIRST 25X1
SEEN ON THE PLATFORI?f, ALTHOUGH WAS THE EARLIEST DATE ON 25X1
WHICH THE SCREEN COULD BE CONFIRMED. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE
TOP OF THE PLATFORM HAS BEEN COMPLETELY COVERED BY A SHELTER
WHICH FOLDS TO THE OPEN POSITION ON THE NORTH END OF THE PLATFORM.
(S/D) IN ADDITION, A T-SHAPED OBJECT OF UNKNOWN FUNCTION IS
CENTERED ON THE TOP OF THE UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT. THE HORIZONTAL
PART OF THE "T" IS AND THE VERTICAL PART IS 25X1
(S/D) ANALYST'S COMfIyiENTS -- SINCE 1978 MAJOR MODIFICATIONS AND
NEW CONSTRUCTION HAVE BEEN UNDERWAY AT PAD B-1. THIS ACTIVITY,
WHICH WAS COMPLETED IN LATE 1980, SUGGESTED A NEW TACTICAL
SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILE (SAM) TEST PROGRAM OR MODIFICATIONS TO
AN EXISTING SAN SYSTEM WOULD OCCUR IN THIS AREA. TEE ARRIVAL
OF THE UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT IN JANUARY 1981 CONFIRMED THAT A TEST
PROGRAM OF AN UNDETERMINED TYPE WAS UNDERWAY.
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
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/01 : CIA-RDP81T00618R000100870001-3
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/01 : CIA-RDP81T00618R000100870001-3
(c) NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER
Page 2 of 2
Copy
Attachment to Z11285/81
NPIC/IEG
29 JUNE 1981
(S/D) ALTHOUGH NO MISSILES, MISSILE RACKS, OR MISSILE RAILS
HAVE BEEN SEEN ON THE UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT, THERE IS ADEQUATE
ROOM FOR SUCH A CONFIGURATION. THE UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT IS 25X1
METERS IN LENGTH AND IN WIDTH. 'IF THIS OBJECT IS A 25X1
MISSILE LAUNCHER WITH AN ONBOARD RADAR, THE SIZE OF THE MISSILE/.
MISSILES IT COULD MOUNT WOULD BE SMALL, PROBABLY IN THE 2- TO
4-METER LENGTH RANGE. DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF THE PLATFORM, IT
CANNOT BE DETERMINED IF THE UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT IS A NON-MOBILE
PROTOTYPE SYSTEM, OR IF IT IS ATTACHED TO A VEHICLE CONCEALED
UNDER THE PLATFORM. THE SIZE AND CONFIGURATION OF THE PROBABLE
RADAR SCREEN ARE SIMILAR TO THE LAND ROLL TARGET SURVEILLANCE/
ACQUISITION RADAR ON THE SA-8 TRANSPORTER-LAUNCHER AND RADAR
(TLAR)/TRANSPORTER-ERECTOR-LAUNCHER AND RADAR (TELAR). UNTIL
MAY 1980, WHEN ALL SA-8 SYSTEM TESTING.ACTIVITY WAS MOVED TO-PAD:
B-3, PAD B-1 HAD BEEN USED EXCLUSIVELY FOR SA-8 TESTING ACTIVITY.
(S/D) BASED ON THE SIZE AND CONFIGURATION OF THE PROBABLE RADAR
SCREEN, THE SMALL SIZE OF THE POSTULATED MISSILES THAT COULD BE
ACCOMMODATED ON THE UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT, AND THE PAST ASSOCIATION
OF PAD B-1 WITH THE SA-8 OR AN UPGRADING PROGRAM FOR THE
SA-8 MISSILE SYSTEM MAY BE UNDERWAY AT PAD B-1.
3. (S)
COORDINATES, 48-31-03N 58-02-07E
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
___ Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/01 : CIA-RDP81T00618R000100870001-3 _
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/01 : CIA-RDP81T00618R000100870001-3
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/01 : CIA-RDP81T00618R000100870001-3
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/01 : CIA-RDP81T00618R000100870001-3
CONCEPTUAL DRAWING OF PROBABLE RADAR
ON UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT
Z-11285 NPIC/IEG (6/81) 2 OF 2
25X1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/01 : CIA-RDP81T00618R000100870001-3