SOVIET MILITARY TRANSPORT AVIATION SUMMARY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84T00171R000200990001-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 24, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: August 1, 1983
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/24: CIA-RDP84TO0171 R000200990001-2
imagery analysis report
Soviet Military Transport
Aviation Summary (S)
Se
Z-12082/83
IAR-0055/83
AUGUST 1983
Copy 43
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SOVIET MILITARY TRANSPORT
AVIATION SUMMARY (S)
INTRODUCTION
1. This report provides imagery-derived information on noteworthy trends and developments in
Soviet military transport aviation (VTA) that have occurred since April 1982. The VTA air order-of-battle
was derived from the most recent, clear satellite imagery acquired through ](Figure 1 and
associated table). (S/WN)
2. The Soviets continue to upgrade their VTA forces with CANDID aircraft. This trend includes the
replacement of CUB aircraft with CANDIDs at Kedainiai and Zaporozhye East Airfields and the initiation
of a similar replacement at Krivoy Rog Airfield East. In addition, CUB regiments at Chervono-Glinskoye
and Zavitinsk Northeast Airfields were redeployed in May 1983 to facilitate airfield renovation; renova-
tion and construction is continuing at Krivoy Rog East, Fergana, Seshcha, and Nikolayevskoye Airfields;
and newly produced CANDIDs have replaced some older CANDIDs at Tartu Airfield and Zaporozhye
Airfield East. (S/WN)
BASIC DESCRIPTION
3. The CUB-to-CANDID upgrading at Kedainiai w
CANDIDs were present. This upgrading had begun by
present. (S/WN)
as completed by
when eight CAND
when 23
4. Upgrading of VTA forces in the southwestern USSR continued with the completion of the up-
grading to CANDIDs at Zaporozhye East Airfield and the initial upgrading to CANDIDs at Krivoy Ro
Airfield East. A high count of 26 CANDIDs (Figure 2 shows many of them) was at Zaporozhye East onL
completing the upgrading (a normal CANDID VTA regiment has 24 to 28 aircraft).Upgrading
was first identified in Januar 1982, when one CANDID was present and CANDID revetment construction
was underway. On 13 of the 25 CANDIDs present (eight shown in Figure 3) were new
CANDIDs with Some of the older CANDIDs
from Zaporozhye East may have been redeployed to Krivoy Rog Airfield East in the Kiyev Military District
(MD), whe
(Figure 4).
Pre aratio
when ground scarring for blastwall construction was underway along the main parking apron at the
south end of the airfield. By 11 CANDID parking positions had been completed and at least 14
more were in the early stage of construction. A similar pattern of deployment and construction was
observed at Zaporozhye East. (S/WN)
5. The CUB regiments from Chervono-Glinskoye and Zavitinsk Northeast Airfields have recently
redeployed, and indications of extensive airfield renovation have been observed at both airfields. On C
re three CANDIDs were first observed in January and eight were seen on imagery of
s for CANDID deployment to Krivoy Rog East were first observed on imagery of
17 CUBs from Chervono-Glinskoye were at Bolgrad Airfield Southeast (Figure 5). Bolgrad is a
departure field for the 98th Guards Airborne Division in the Odessa MD, and normally only an airborne
detachment of COLT aircraft is here. One of the three FLAGON dispersal areas at Chervono-Glinskoye,
which houses a FLAGON A/D regiment, has been undergoing renovation since September 1982, but this
renovation did not necessitate the redeployment of the CUB and FLAGON regiments. However, by C
only four CUBs were at Chervono-Glinskoye, and renovation activities were underway on the
parallel taxiway, end-connecting taxiway, connecting taxiway, and at the north end of the runway. The
FLAGON regiment probably deployed to Tiraspol Airfield where a FLAGON regiment
was present on~(S/WN)
6. The CUB regiment normally housed at Zavitinsk Airfield Northeast, in the Far East MD, deployed
to Fergana Airfield in the Turkestan MD between to facilitate impending airfield renova-
tion at Zavitinsk Northeast. Only 20 of the normal complement of 30 CUBs were at Zavitinsk Northeast on
and only three were present on 0 Correspondingly, 27 CUBs and three CANDIDs (the
latter probably providing logistics support for the deployment) were at Fergana on (Figure 6).
Although small numbers of paving blocks were at Zavitinsk Northeast in February, full-scale preparations
for the renovation were not seen until O when at least 100 paving blocks were at the airfield and
many more were in a rail yard 2.5 nm to the south. Onconstruction equipment was present, and
the northwest end of the runway was being refurbished. Significant numbers of the BADGER air-to-
surface missile re iment (25 aircraft), normally housed at Zavitinsk Northeast, deployed to Ukraina
Airfield (S/WN)
7. At Fergana, a probable new aircraft repair facility is under construction. This facility is approxi-
mately 200 meters northeast of the CUB repair facility. A large concrete hardstand has been completed,
and the steel framework for a large building/hangar has been erected. In addition, another building is
under construction adjacent to the civil terminal. (S/WN)
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M I' O L I A
uTA t' IELb
Table
Status of Soviet Military Transport Aviation as of
(Keyed to Figure 1)
Item
Airfield and
BE No
Air Order- N
Date of of-Battle R
Imagery (AOB) Bl
o o
eve
ast
f CANDID
tments/
walls
1
Tartu
18 CANDIDs,
27
1 CUB
2
Pskov
27 CANDIDs
3
Krechevitsy
24 CANDIDs
4
Siauliai
29 CUBs
5
Kedainiai
22 CANDIDs,
28
1 CUB
6
Panevezys
7
Vitebsk Northe
ast
24 CANDIDs,
26
6 CUBs
8
Seshcha
15 COCKs,
C
ANDID were from Vitebsk
4 CUBs,
Northeast where renovations
7 CANDIDs
were underway
11 Chervono-
Glinskoye
0HIN'!4
19 COCKs,
7 CUBs
17 COCKs,
14 CANDIDs,
18 CUBs
Airfield renovation underway;
CUB regiment deployed to
Bolgrad Airfield Southeast
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Table (Continued)
Airfield and
Item BE No
12 Krivoy Rog East
13 Zaporozhye East
14 Melitopol
15 Dzhankoy
16 Kirovabad
17 Fergana
18 Nikolayevskoye
19 Zavitinsk
Northeast
Air Order- No of CANDID
Date of of-Battle Revetments/
Imagery (AOB) Blastwalls
8 CANDIDs, 11
27 CUBs
26 CANDIDs, 28
2 CUBs
14 additional hardstands
were under construction
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50 CUBs
28 CUBs
26 CUBs
2 CANDIDs, 27 CUBs are from Zavitinsk
55 CUBs Airfield Northeast
3 CUBs,
15 BADGERs
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Airfield renovation underway;
CUB regiment deployed to
Fergana Airfield, BADGER 25X1
regiment deployed to Ukraina
Airfield
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Imagery Analyst's Comments
11. Fourteen of the 19 newly deployed CANDIDs were identified between January and March 1983
at Tashkent Airframe Plant B Chkalov 84 the CANDID production facility. The delivery of
newly produced CANDIDs to Tartu and Zaporozhye East coincided with a redeployment of other CAN-
DIDs previously assigned to these airfields. These events suggest that CANDID aircraft may be routinely
transferring from what have been their normal home bases to other VTA airfields.
12. VTA upgradings to CANDID have followed a consistent pattern: no more than two CUB units
have been upgraded at any one time, and a new upgrading has been initiated just before the previous
one has been completed. The upgrading at Zaporozhye East and Krivoy Rog East typified this pattern. If
this pattern continues, another VTA airfield could be upgraded by the latter part of this year. Renovation
and construction at Chervono-Glinskoye and the location of this airfield in the southwestern USSR
suggest that it may be the next VTA airfield to be upgraded with CANDID. (S/WN)
All applicable satellite imagery acquired from ~ was used in the preparation of
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this report. (S/WN)
Comments and queries regarding this report are welcome. They may be directed to
Pact Forces Division, Imagery Exploitation Group, NPIC,
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