ZHEMKOVKA VLF RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS TRANSMITTER STATION (ZHEMKOVKA EAST SLAVE MOON STATION) DEPLOYED COMM/ELEC/RADAR FACILITIES USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78T04563A000100010050-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 3, 2005
• Sequence Number: 50
• Publication Date: August 6, 1999
• Content Type: REPORT

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Basic Iraery Interpretation; Report
NATIONAL
PHOTOGRAPHIC
INTERPRETATION
CENTER
ZHEMKOVKA VLF RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS
TRANSMITTER STATION
[ZHEMKOVKA EAST SLAVE MOON STATION)
DEPLOYED COMM/ELEC/RADAR FACILITIES
USSR
AUGUST 1969
NSA review completed
Declassification by NGA/DoD
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GROUP I: EXCLUDED FROM
AUTOMATIC DOWNGRADING
AND DECLASSIFICATION
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Zhemkovka VLF Radiocommunications Transmitter Station
NA
53-17-18N 048-07-15E
MAP REFERENCE
'ACIC. US Air Target Chart 200, Sheet M0165-16HL, 3d ed, Jan 63, scale 1:200,000
(SECRETL
LATEST IMAGERY USED
NA
ABSTRACT
This report provides a detailed imagery-derived analysis of the newly designated
Zhemkovka East Slave MOON Station (Zhemkovka VLF Radiocommunications
Transmitter Station). It includes a functional analysis, location map, mensuration, and
photography of the facility.
This facility is one of two MOON slave facilities in the USSR which were previously
identified as very low frequency (VLF) communications stations. The other facility is
located at Slonim
The Zhemkovka facility has been identified as the eastern MOON (long-range
navigation aid) station because of its similarity to other known MOON stations and a
correlation between photography and or this facility. 25X1
In addition to the MOON antenna, the facility contains a support area and a barrage-
type balloon that probably supports an antenna, possibly for back-up or emergency use.
INTRODUCTION
This facility is one of five stations (Figure 1) in the MOON 3 navigational system.
MOON 3 is a long-range low frequency (LF) hyperbolic navigational aid syste
The MOON
3 system, an update of the original MOON system, is
The MOON system has been present in the Soviet Union since the late 1950s or early
1960s and was known to consist of four slave stations, two on a north/south baseline and two
on an east/west baseline with a master station located at the intersection of the east/west
and north/south baselines. The northern slave station is at Pryazha at 61-45-35N 033-41-
35E, the master station is at Karachev at 53-07N 034-55E, and the southern slave station is
at Pochtovoye at 44-53-18N 033-52-23E. These facilities have been identified since the early
1960s.
Zhemkovka was not originally identified as the eastern slave station primarily because
of the difference in its antenna configuration from the other known MOON facilities. =
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An identical antenna o serve
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confirmed to be the western MOON slave station. Both Slonim and
Zhemkovka have balloon pads simil?r to the nreviously identified northern and southern
slave stations and the master station.
Photography reveals that an antenna tower was
dismantled at the Z hem ov a facility during the same period.
Zhemkovka East Slave MOON Station is located at an elevation of 800 feet, 2 nautical
miles (nm) west-northwest of Zhemkovka, USSR. The surrounding terrain is relatively flat
and quite low which makes it well suited for LF signal propagation. The facility (Figure 2)
is secured by a single wire fence and contains approximately 325 acres. An adjacent secured
support area contains approximately 50 acres.
The mensuration in this report is accurate to within ? (5 feet plus V0 with a 9V C',
confidence level.
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BASIC DESCRIPTION
Operational Functions
Operations Area
Two antennas are located in the operations area. The major antenna is a low frequency
(LF) pentagonal array and the second is a balloon-supported probable LF vertical wire,
antenna.
The LF pentagon array contains six towers, each high. One of these towers is 25X1
centrally located and the remaining five (perimeter towers) are out from the 25X1
central tower forming a pentagonal configuration. The central tower is fed by two separate
parallel overhead radio frequency (RF) feedlines, spaced 125 feet apart, that originate at
the transmitting building (item 41, Figure 2 and Table 1). Each of the perimeter towers is
fed via a buried cable emanating from the central tower. Small probable tuning buildings
have been placed at the base of each tower. Each of the towers has four stories of guying.
The easternmost tower of the pentagon array has a partial radial trench system around its
base. A circle of 15 equally spaced masts with a chord distance separation ofat a 25X1
radius ofrom the central tower.
The balloon pad is on the north side of the facility (item 39). A probable winch house
EA[,fiIC
/A
?
SLONIM
KAR'ACHEV
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(item 35) is approximately 400 feet north of the pad. The balloon (item 57) is in flight on
Figure 2 with a vertical elevation o~ and a slant elevation of_The vertical 25X1
wire antenna is suspended between the balloon and the balloon pad. A single RF feedline
emanating from the transmitting building terminates adjacent to the east side of the pad.
Other buildings in the operations area are general control support buildings. The total
floorspace available in this area is
Support Area
The separately secured support area contains 30 buildings with a total floorspace of
approximately 104,200 square feet. The largest building in the facility is a two-story
apartment building All major buildings in the support area were
complete inl
and only four small buildings have been added since that time.
Status and Activity
The Zhemkovka facility was first observed under construction in
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Although the pentagonal antenna array was probably complete on the initial
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photography of _ its completed configuration could not be confirmed until
when it 25X1
appeared to be operational. From he array remained unchanged. In 25X1
the easternmost tower of the pentagonal array was disassembled and
remained so un
operational.
it = when it was re-erected at its original position and again became
The pad for the balloon antenna was complete in
but the balloon was not 25X1
observed until
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Table 1. Zhemkovka East Slave MOON Station
Description
Dimensions (ft)
Bldg
Bldg
Bldg
Bldg
Bldg
Admin bldg (2 story)
7 Bldg (2 story)
8 Bldg
9 Guardhouse
10 Bldg
11 Bldg
12 Heating plant bldg section
13 Heating plant bldg section
14 Bldg
15 Maint shop
16 Bldg
17a Poss school (2 story)
b Section
18 Apartment bldg (2 story)
19 Apartment bldg (2 story)
20 Apartment bldg (2 story)
21-23 Utility bldgs
24 Structure
25 Utility bldg
26 Apartment bldg (2 story)
27 Prob swimming pool
28 Storage bldg
29 Bldg
30 Fenced area
31 Recreational bldg
32, 33 Storage bldgs
34 Bldg
35 Prob winch house
36 Bldg
37 Bldg
38 Bldg
39 Balloon pad
40 Fenced areas
41 Transmitting bldg (2 story
a Section
b Section
42 Bldg (2 story)
43 Bunker (1)
44 Cooling pond
45 Bldg
46 Control/support bldg
section
47 Control/support bldg
section (2 story)
48 Control/support bldg
section (3 story)
49 Bldg
50 Storage/maint bldg
51 Storage/maint bldg
52 Towers (6)
53 Bldg at base of tower
54 Masts
55 Masts
56 Small tower
57 Barrage-type balloon
L W H
Note: The measurements given are accurate to within +(5
feet plus 1%) with a 95?1 confidence level.
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l yr 3[uct I I RCA-03/0042/69
ACIC. US Air Target Chart, Series 200, Sheet M0165-16HL, 3d ed, Jan 63, scale 1:200,000 (SECRET/
Reports, 24 Jun 66 (TOP SECRET
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ZoAi
3. US Naval Photographic Interpretation Center. 644/61-S, LF or VLF Radio Station at Zhemkovka, Ner-
Syzran, USSR, Oct 61 (SECRET 25X1
REQUIREMENT
COMIREX BC-C/005-69
NPIC Project 210668
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