MOBILIZATION EXERCISES AND A MOBILIZATION BASE MRD IN THE CENTRAL ASIAN MD, USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84T00171R000101010001-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 23, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: July 1, 1983
• Content Type: REPORT

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imagery analysis report
Mobilization Exercises and a
Mobilization Base MRD in the
Central Asian MD, USSR (S)
Se
Z-12061/83
IAR-0022/83
JULY 1983
Copy 42
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NOFORN
MOBILIZATION EXERCISES AND A MOBILIZATION
BASE MRD IN THE CENTRAL ASIAN MD, USSR (S)
INTRODUCTION
1. This report discusses two separate mobilization exercises in June and July 1982, one involving the
80th Guards (GDS) Motorized Rifle Division (MRD) and the other the 8th Guards MRD. Both divisions are
in the 17th Army Corps area, Central Asian Military District (MD; Figure 1).1 This exercise activity
prompted further analysis of the installations containing the 80th GDS MRD. A search of the imagery
revealed the existence of a collocated mobilization base division, in addition to the cadre MRD and
training units previously known to be garrisoned there. (S/WN)
2. The 80th GDS MRD is the training division for the Central Asian MD. The division consists of
cadre-level subunits with additional units attached for training purposes. Attached training units usually
operate and train independently of the cadre division. The organization of this training division is typical
of Soviet training divisions.2 (S/WN)
4. The 8th GDS MRD is a cadre division subordinate to the 17th Army Corps. The entire division
participated, as did most of the cadre 80th GDS MRD, in mobilization exercises on The 25X1
simultaneous exercises were unusual because cadre divisions mobilize and exercize infrequently and are
low-strength divisions that require extensive preparation to mobilize. (S/WN)
NPIC T-6483
DESCRIPTION
80th GDS MRD Mobilization
Exercise and Collocated
Mobilization Base Division
5. The 80th GDS MRD, garrisoned at Otar
Army Barracks North AL-1/Headquarters MRD (BE
and Otar Army Barracks Southwest AL-
North-northwest 1 on
4/Reserve Equipment Storage was
involved in a mobilization exercise in June and
July 1982. A major portion of the mobilization
exercise was observed in Otar Training Area
(Figure 2). The following units of the cadre MRD
were deployed:
-Elements of two motorized rifle regi-
ments (MRRs) including two tank battal-
ions, two antiaircraft missile and artillery
batteries, and one artillery battalion,
-FROG battalion,
-Multiple-rocket-launcher (MRL) battal- 75X1
ion, 25X1
-Artillery regiment,
-Antiaircraft artillery (AAA) regiment, and
-Probable reconnaissance battalion.
In addition to the above units, approximately 250 25X1
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support vehicles and 350 squad tents were ob-
served. (S/WN)
6. Activity was first observed on
in one of the cadre MRRs at Otar Army Barracks
AL-1, when a battalion of 40 BMP armored person-
nel carriers (APCs) was out of garrison. Prior to
this, none of the 96 BMPs of the cadre MRR had
shown evidence of movement since their arrival in
1980. The BMP battalion of the cadre MRR should
not be confused with the very active BMP APC
training regiment, parked adjacent to the cadre
MRR (Figure 3). The entire BMP cadre MRR had
vacated the garrison by Figure 4). (S/WN)
7. During the mobilization exercise, some
divisional assets, previously considered as subordi-
nate to the 80th GDS MRD, remained in garrison
while similarly equipped units participated in the
exercise activity. An artillery regiment and an anti-
tank battalion, previously considered as subordi-
nate to the 80th GDS MRD, remained parked in
the open at Otar Army Barracks AL-1 throughout
the mobilization exercise. These two units, which
rarely move and are not training units, are actually
mobilization base assets (Figure 5). In addition to
this artillery, approximately 55 antitank guns and at
least 15 57mm AAA guns were parked in the
general storage area during the exercise. On 25X1
the 53 antitank guns had been formed into
three separate groups. These three battalion-sized
antitank units represent the mobilization base ar-
tillery battalions for three MRRs. The AAA guns
are the AAA regiment for the mobilization base
MRD (Figure 6). (S/WN)
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8. The artillery battalion involved in the mo-
bilization exercise was subordinate to the active
BMP-equipped MRR of the 80th GDS MRD. This
battalion was observed in garrison at Otar Army
Barracks AL-1 on before returning to cov-
ered storage (Figure 7). The cadre artillery battal-
ions, subordinate to the BTR-60 MRR and truck-
equipped MRR, were not involved in the exercise
and remained in garrison. (S/WN)
9. The AAA regiment that participated in the
mobilization exercise left behind 14 AAA guns at
Otar Army Barracks AL-1. In addition, a battery of
AAA guns are permanently emplaced in an AAA
training site at Otar Army Barracks AL-4. (S/WN)
10. The tank training regiment attached to
the 80th GDS MRD is housed at Otar Army Bar-
racks Northeast Roslavlskiy AL-3
This regiment remained in garrison throughout
the mobilization exercise (Figure 8). The 80th GDS
cadre tank regiment and the probable mobiliza-
tion base tank regiment are both housed at Otar
Army Barracks AL-4 (Figure 9). Previously, this
installation was believed to house the 80th GDS
cadre tank regiment and the tank battalions subor-
dinate to the three MRRs of the 80th GDS MRD.
However, on tanks were observed in the 25X1
BMP-equippe MRR at Otar Army Barracks AL-1
(Figure 10). Further analysis confirms that tank
battalions for all three MRRs are at Otar Army
Barracks AL-1. It, therefore, can be concluded that
the area next to the cadre tank regiment at Otar
Army Barracks AL-4 has probably been occupied
by a mobilization base tank regiment. The mobili-
zation base tank regiment remained in covered
storage during the exercise, while tanks from the
cadre tank regiment participated. (S/WN) 25X1
(Continued p. 8)
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11. Another mobilization base unit housed at
Otar Army Barracks AL-1 is the MRL battalion.
During August 1980, a battalion of 18 BM-21 MRLs
(Figure 11) was brought into the installation and
was moved to covered storage shortly thereafter.
A second MRL battalion, consisting of 18 BM-14
MRLs (Figure 12), was observed there in February
1981 prior to being moved into vehicle sheds. As
mobilization bases usually receive older equip-
ment, the BM-21 MRL battalion is probably subor-
dinate to the 80th GDS MRD, and the BM-14 MRL
battalion probably belongs to the mobilization
base MRD. (S/WN)
12. The following mobilization base MRD
units, collocated with the 80th GDS MRD, have
been identified on imagery:
- Otar AB Southwest tank
AL 4/Reserve
Equipment Storage
- Otar AB North AL-1
/HQ MRD
(Gen Stor Area)
regiment
three artillery
battalions (MRR)
AAA regiment
Otar AB North AL artillery regiment
1/HQ MRD antitank battalion
MRL battalion
(S/W N )
13. Most of the 80th GDS MRD's subordinate
units that participated in the exercise had returned
to garrison by on this date, only a convoy
of 60 BMPs remained in Otar Training Area North-
northwest 1. Some vehicles and equipment which
had not been returned to covered storage were
observed at Otar Army Barracks AL-1 and AL-4.
These included elements from the tank regiment,
the BMP-equipped MRR, and the artillery battal-
ion from the BMP-equipped MRR. (S/WN)
Upgrading of 80th GDS
MRD
14. An upgrading of the 80th GDS MRD ap-
peared to be underway. Construction which be-
gan at Otar Army Barracks AL-4 in 1980 has prog-
ressed significantly. Nine of 12 16-bay, double-
depth vehicle storage sheds and one of four six-
story, apartment-type barracks under construction
have been completed by March 1983 (Figure 13).
(S/W N)
15. Fifty-five BTR-60 APCs arrived at Otar
Army Barracks AL-4 on and occupied
two of the completed vehicle storage sheds. Since
the BTR-60-equipped MRR garrisoned at Otar
Army Barracks AL-1 was equipped with only one
battalion of BTR-60s, these 55 additional BTR-60s
were probably subordinated to the MRR at Otar
Army Barracks AL-1. The BTR-60s were either
temporarily stored at Otar Army Barracks AL-4 or
the remainder of the MRR units from Otar Army
Barracks AL-1 may be relocated to Otar Army
Barracks AL-4. (S/WN)
(Continued p. 11)
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16. The entire 8th GDS MRD (cadre division)
was also involved in a mobilization exercise on
=The units of the 8th GDS MRD are garri-
soned at Pereval Kurday Army Barracks AL-
1/Training Area 1/Headquarters MRD
Frunze Army Barracks AL-5
and Rybachye Army Barracks AL-1/Training Area 1
8th GDS MRD Mobilization Exercise
(S/WN)
17. Elements of the MRR garrisoned at Pere-
val Kurday Army Barracks AL-1-the engineering
battalion, reconnaissance battalion, and signal bat-
talion-were dispersed throughout the area sur-
rounding the installation. In addition, at least 260
squad tents were in the area. Since harvest mobili-
zation was also underway during this time, some
of the tents might have been used for this activity
and not for the mobilization exercise (Figure 14).
The tank regiment and artillery regiment were also
out of garrison, but their location could not be
determined. (S/WN)
18. The MRR and chemical defense battal-
ion, garrisoned at Frunze Army Barracks AL-5,
were observed at Frunze Training Area 1 _ 25Xi 5X1
approximately 5 nm northeast of the instal- 25X11
lation (Figure 15). The MRR was deployed in unit
structure with 160 squad tents. (S/WN)
19. The third MRR for the 8th GDS MRD is
housed at Rybachye Army Barracks AL-1. The MRR
was observed in the local training area north of
the installation along with 140 squad tents (Figure
16). (S/WN)
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25X1
20. The mobilization exercise of the 8th GDS
MRD had probably ended by The units 25X1
from Pereval Kurday Army Barracks AL-1 and Ry-
bachye Army Barracks AL-1 had returned to garri-
son by this date. Although Frunze Army Barracks
AL-5 has not been imaged since the 25X1
units housed there probably returned to garrison
about the same time as those from Pereval Kurday
and Rybachye. (S/WN)
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SUMMARY
21. Both the 80th GDS MRD and the 8th GDS
MRD were involved in mobilization exercises at
the same time and both exercises ended at ap-
proximately the same time. These concurrent ex-
ercises, along with the 80th GDS MRD being
garrisoned in the 17th Army Corps area support
the proposition that the 80th GDS MRD, even
though subordinate to the MD, would probably
become part of the 17th Army Corps in the event
of a conflict. (S/WN)
22. The existence of the mobilization base
MRD assets collocated with the 80th GDS MRD
was determined during the mobilization exercise.
Equipment belonging to the 80th GDS MRD was
removed from covered storage and participated in
the exercise. However, training equipment and
the units now identified as part of the mobilization
base MRD remained in place. (S/WN)
All available satellite imagery acquired from
this report. (S/WN)
was used in the preparation of 25X1
2. CIA/OIA. IA 82-10058, Soviet Training Divisions (U), Nov 82
Comments and queries regarding this report are welcome. They may be directed to
Pact Forces Division, Imagery Exploitation Group, NPIC,
acknowledge the assistance of
Warsaw
. T e aut or wishes to
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