STATUS OF RHODESIAN AIRFIELDS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78T05162A000400010127-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 14, 2011
• Sequence Number: 127
• Publication Date: September 1, 1976
• Content Type: REPORT

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oT Secrete
NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC
INTERPRETATION CENTER
PHOTOGRAPHIC
I NTERPRETATION
REPORT
STATUS OF RHODESIAN
AIRFIELDS
SEPTEMBER 1976
Copy 2 1
PIR-014/76
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Warning Notice
Sensitive Intelligence Sources and Methods Involved
(WNINTEL)
NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION
Unauthorized Disclosure Subject to Criminal Sanctions
NOFORN- Not Releasable to Foreign Nationals
NOCONTRACT- Not Releasable to Contractors or
Contractor/Consultants
PROPIN- Caution- Proprietary Information Involved
USIBONLY- USIB Departments Only
ORCON- Dissemination and Extraction of Information
Controlled by Originator
REL. . .- This Information has been Authorized for
Release to ...
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Top Secret RUFF
STATUS OF RHODESIAN AIRFIELDS
1. This report summarizes construction and improvements to airfields in Rhodesia observed
on recent KEYHOLE photography. Figure 1 shows the location of these airfields and is keyed to
Table 1, which shows the status of the construction and improvements. A description of construc-
tion and improvements at these airfields follows.
2. Wankie National Park Airfield (Figure 2), a joint civilian and military airfield, is in the
Wankie National Game Park, approximately 30 nautical miles (nm) south of the Zambian border.
The airfield has an approximately 4,640- by 30-meter (15,225- by 100-foot), east-northeast/west-
southwest serviceable blacktop runway with separate civilian and military support facilities. The
civilian support area, which contains a terminal building and an operations building with a control
tower, is at the west end of the facility. The newly constructed military support area consists of a
concrete parking apron protected by earthen embankments and contains a total of eight single-bay
aircraft shelters. no fighter aircraft had been seen at this airfield.
3. A new east/west runway, approximately 2,850 meters (9,350 feet) lon was seen under con-
first observe Hawker Hunter, Vampire, 25X1
struction at Gwelo/Thornhill Airfield (Figure 3 . Construction was 25X1
and transport aircraft are regularly seen at this facility.
4. An approximately 3,000-meter (9,850-foot) graded-earth area for a new
northwest/southeast runway has been observed at Chiredzi/Buffalo Range Airfield (Figure 4) in
southeastern Rhodesia, approximately 50 nm from the Mozambique border. The initial clearing
and grading for the new runway was first seen on photography The 25X1
present runway is approximately 1,400 meters (4,600 feet) long. Small straight-wing aircraft and
helicopters are usually seen at this installation.
5. Five forward airfields with either new or improved facilities have been identified along the
Mozambique border (Table 1). Each of these airfields has either a blacktopped or natural-surfaced
runway, approximately 1,220 meters (4,000 feet) long. Mtoko Airfield New (Figure 5) is represen-
tative of these facilities. Small straight-win observation aircraft and probably Alouette III
helicopters were at Mtoko Airfield New Small straight-wing aircraft were at Mount 25X1
Darwin Airfield New . In addition, at least six small 25X1
helicopters were in an open area on the southern edge of a town southeast of the airfield. No aircraft
were observed at Tsuro, Nyanyadzi, or Mtoko East airfields 25X1
REFERENCES
Top Secret
REQUIREMENT
Project 121201NE
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Top Secret RUFF
Table 1. Airfield Construction and Improvements
(Items keyed to Figure 1)
Construction
Status
Wankie National Park Airfield
Gwelo/Thornhill Airfield
Chiredzi/Buffalo Range Airfield
Mount Darwin Airfield New
Mtoko Airfield New
Tsuro Airfield
Mtoko Airfield East
Nyanyadizi Airfield
New military
New runway under
construction
New runway under
construction
New airfield
New airfield
Runway surfaced
New airfield
New runway
30?00,
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H
REP, OF Std
T
APi CA
FIGURE 1. LOCATIONS OF AIRFIELD CONSTRUCTION IN RHODESIA
-2-
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