SARY SHAGAN SUPPORT BASE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78T05439A000200030005-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 13, 2007
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: February 27, 1999
• Content Type: BRIEF

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ARMY-NAVY-CIA-AIR FORCE
(Published and Disseminated by CIA/PIC)
SUBJECT : Sary Shagan Support Base NO : PIC/JB-76/60
LOCATION: Sa=y Shagan Area, USSR DATE : 22.April 1960
WAC 245 COORD: 46?01'N 73?30'E
PHOTO DATA :25X1
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This brief, which identifies and describes the Sary Shagan Support
Base. located at approximately 46?O1'N/73?30'E, is the result of a pre-
liminary photographic analysis. The base consists of a housing complex
and an operational support complex (see Figure 1).
The housing complex is located on the west shore of Lake Balkhash.
It contains 34 multistory apartment buildings, 31 apartment buildings
under construction, and approximately 250 individual housing units. Also
present are about 230 other buildings, including shops, utility buildings,
warehouses, two large vehicle parks. and other supporting units.
The operational support complex is centered generally around the
Mointy -- Chu main rail line that passes through the base- The complex
includes a new airfield, a probable missile assembly and checkout area
(No 1), an adjoining unidentified area under construction (No 1). a poss-
ible solid propellant and/or warhead storage area, a nearby probable
missile assembly and checkout area (No 2), a large rail-served storage
and maintenance area, a second unidentified area (No 2), and a possible
initial support area.
MINICARD COPY
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The new airfield is in late stages of construction. It has a concrete
runway about 9, 850 by 185 feet oriented northeast/southwest and a parking
apron about 4, 000 by 200 feet which parallels the southwest end of the run-
way. A taxiway leads from the parking apron to two hangars, one of which
is under construction. Support facilities include a double-fenced POL
storage point containing six earth-mounded circuljir tanks and excavations
for two additional tanks. An ungraded earth strip approximately 16, 300 by
260 feet also oriented northeast/southwest is located south of the airfield.
A service road extends from the southwest end of the new airfield to the
ungraded earth strip.
TOP SECRET 25X1
Probable missile assembly and checkout area No 1 is one nautical
mile north of the airfield area and along the south side of the service road
which extends to the west. The area, secured by a single wire fence, is
characterized by construction activity and includes five drive-through
buildings, a transloading point, and several other supporting buildings.
The five drive-through buildings are positioned on interconnecting loop
roads. The transloading point is both rail and road-served and has two
bridge cranes for transloading operations
Unidentified area No 1 adjoins assembly and checkout area No 1 and
is in an early stage of construction. It contains 12 buildings in varying
stages of construction, 2 of which are monitor-roofed. Extensive ditching
interconnects most of these buildings.
The possible solid propellant and/or warhead storage area, located
west of assembly and checkout area No 1, is road-served and secured by
a double wire fence about 2, 460 by 1, 310 feet. The fenced area, parts of
which appear to be in a late stage of construction, contains 11 revetted
buildings, one nonrevetted building, a concrete hardstand, and an admin-
istrative-type building. A steam plant and warehouse are located outside
the fence- The revetted buildings includ
U-shaped revetments, with 4 measuring
The remaining 5 revetted buildings have a drive-
through capability and are possibly for assembly or checkout operations:
'
105 by 40 feet
Three of these buildings measure about one is
with a raised center section 60 by 40 feet, and the fifth is
with hangar-type door storage compartments. The nopremetted building
The concrete handstand, measuring about
along a loop service road.
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PIC/JB-76/60
Probable missile assembly and checkout area No 2, which is under"
construction, is just west of the storage area. The area is secured by
a double wire fence about 1 , 070 by 775 feet and contains one monitor-
roofed drive-through buildin about one partially revetted 25X1
building about and five small sheds - Construction in this 25X1
area is not as advanced as in the nearby storage area. An unidentified
building under construction near the entrance road may be a steam plant-
The storage and maintenance area, located east of the airfield, is
rail and road-served and encompasses a very large section of real estate.
The area includes numerous open and closed storage facilities and several
motor pools with maintenance facilities. The area appears to be the
general receiving point for construction and other suppqDCting material.
Unidentified area No 2, under constru%tion, located east of the
storage and maintenance area, is secured by a wire fence. The area con-
tains one unusually Jong multistory building with a possible laboratory
annexed to one end (see Figure 2), one barracks-type building, one probable
steam plant. 18 support-type buildings of varying sizes, and several other
buildings under construction. Other features include an excavation (pro-
bably for a fuel tank), numerous ditches (probably for pipelines) inter-
connecting sever-il structures, and open storage of construction material
and equipment-
\
GABLE ROOF
FIGURE 2. LONG MULTISTORY BUILDING IN UNIDENTIFIED AREA NO. 2.
The possible initial support area is located along the Mointy/Chu
main rail line where it widens to a six-track rail yard. The area con-
tains approximately 45 family-type dwellings, 18 apartment-type build-
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ings, 5 administrative-type buildings, and 20 transshipment- and ware-
house-type structures. Other facilities include rail and maintenance
shops, a central heating plant, fuel storage tanks, large open storage
areas, and a vehicle park with maintenance facilities.
NOTE: Because of the poor quality of base maps of this general
area and the scattered cloud cover on the photography, it is emphasized
that the geographic positioning of these areas is only approximate at
this time.
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