Extracted text — CIA Intelligence Information Report, USSR, 1973

Approved for Release 2026
DIR!CIOUTC Of
OP!UIIONS
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 I u·
THIS lS AN INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED lt-:JTHLIGENCE
CONE 	J DE ·tt TI 	AL 	REPORT NO. 	FIi< K- 3 11 / 0 l 6 ~ ~ ·
COUNTRY • USSR
DATE DISTR. _1, [~ Dec emhl=' r 	1 00 - •
DOI 	November 	19;2-N6vemher 	1973
su~ECT 	The 	Sary 	Shagan Weapons Testing
Range
FIELD NO.
ACQ 	Germany
former 	So,·iet 	citi:en who 	Hrv,·.'.	SOURCE
This 	report!
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Summary: 	This 	report· provides 	limited info:rza.tion on the Sarr
shagan weapons 	testirtg r 	ge, 	to· in~lude 	facilities, 	~o:rk 6:re~,.
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.
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;::>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 N F I 	B B N T I A b

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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.)
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