Intelligence Information Report USSR 1973

Approved for Release 2026 intelligence 1nrormanon Kcpon \\'Alll',;J:-;c; F\OTICE SENSITIVE lNT~LUC.lNC..:E SOUltCES A~D. MLl IIOJ>S 1:-.H>I.H,, C1uuit1ad bv Recordad ••porting Officer. hentpt fu,m General Dnlouifacohor. !i1ho6'1tl• of l.O. 116l'2 f • linpou1blw to determino dca1 ■ of ovlomolfc declouifiu,tocn. P;.(,E DIR!CIOUTC Of OP!UIIONS I u· THIS lS AN INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED lt-:JTHLIGENCE CONE J DE ·tt TI AL REPORT NO. DATE DISTR. FIi< K- 3 11 / 0 l 6 ~ ~ · _1, [~ Dec emhl=' r 1 00 COUNTRY • USSR DOI November 19;2-N6vemher 1973 su~ECT The Sary Shagan Weapons Testing Range ACQ Germany SOURCE FIELD NO. former So,·iet citi:en who Hrv,·.'. This report! I This report· provides limited info:rza.tion on the Sarr shagan weapons testirtg r ge, to· in~lude facilities, ~o:rk 6:re~,. Summary: security fencing, the re onal headquarters (V/Ch 0.3080)_ ud ~ warhead checkout unit (V 03142). Also included ii U•i~ed information on the followin1: System-75 [SA·2) and Syt~ea--300/ Aldan [~BP:1-1 GAL~SH] "'arheads·; rumored laser reset"rch; and iua un1dent1f1ed aerial phenomenon. End of SU1111Ury. 5 4 3 2 l....CQNf I OitlTlAt -/ - • r, 0 \ F j il f •• ~I.' L/\•iAR\:~..- ,c-~iC.:L - ·):=:~.s;-;-j\":: ;~;-:-I::LLIGENCE ;::>00RCES A\D ME7HODS I :,;\"OL n.r ~JRf-311/01638-77 4 • 10. Besides the Syste~-75 SA-21 warheads, Site 4 also chec~ed the warheads fo~ a missi:e(sJ know~ as the System-300 and/or Aldan. (Field Comment: :.ou;ce did not ~new if Aldan was another· name for tf:e Svstem-.~a,, ,.iss.:.:r:, ::ir : f ·,:.c-y v,ere two similar missiles.j The System-3(·0/A.lchn ,.._.r.1r;1ea.:;; :.:ifter being checked at Site 4 were taken to ~-.it~-for laun-:hing. According to rumor, the missile ~as for antimissile defense (nrotivo raketna~a oborona - PRO). (Fie}d Comment: Sour-:e 1dent1fied the System- ~oa;Alctan m1ss1le in avafj able rererence materi?.l as the ABM- I/GALOSH.) li. The warhead for the Sy5tem-300/Aldan missile was about two meters long and 80 to 100 certimeters 1n diameter. The war­ head weighed approximately 400 kilograms, and it ~ontained an unrecalled number of black cassettes, 45 x 12 centimeters, which housed an unknown .number of meta] balls (shariki). Warheads for the Sys:em-75 [SA-2) missile had approximately 100 grey cassettes, 30 x 7 centimeters, each of which held about 200 to 300 meLal balls, each no more than 1.5 centimeters in diameter. (Field Comment: Source had no knowledge regarding nuclear warheads. He opined that all systems could be equipped ~ith nuclear warheads. However, Source stated all work done by his department was basically experimental (opytnaya) .J • • 13. According to hearsay, ecperiments involving laser weapons were being conducted at an unknown location at the range. Sup­ posedly, the tests involved powe:i:--Eul antennas (no further details). 14. On one evening in late :,ummer 1973, Source observed an e e NF I BBNT I Ab C O !i F l B f. I< 'f I A t/WARNING NOTICE - SENS IT IVE INTELLl GENCE SOURCES AND METHODS INVOLVED FIRK-311/0lb38--7 unidentified phenomenon at Site 7. While watching a sport com­ petition between Canada and·the.U::iSR on television, he stepped outside for some air and observed an.unidentified sharp (bright) green circular object or ~a~s in the sky. The object was situated \>.·est of the site at an angle· of sighting of approximately 70 degrees. The altitude of the object was undeter~inable. (Field Comment; Although there were no clouds in the sky that even1n 6 , Source believed that the green mass would have been hiiher than cloud level. Source could not estimate the diameter of the object.) Within 10 to 15 seconds of observ~tion, the green circle widened and w'ith'in a brief period of time several ireen concentric circles formed around the mass. Within minutes the'coloring dis· appeared. There was no sound, such as an explosion, associated with the phenomenon. (Field ColllJllent: Source had no. opinion as to what this phenomenon was. 16 n-vas no resultant rumors. Source could not provide any further details.) I I 1· I I l I I !