LAD TEST AREA AT PAVLOGRAD SOLID MOTOR TEST FACILITY, USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84T00491R000101460001-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 19, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: March 1, 1984
• Content Type: MISC

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I~ A IONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER
basic imagery interpretation report
LAD Test Area at Pavlograd
Solid Motor Test Facility, USSR (S)
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MARCH 1984
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LAD Test Area at Pavlograd Solid Motor Test Facility
DMAAC. USATC, Series 200, Sheet FP 0234-22R, 6th ed, Sep 81, scale 1:200,000
NEGATION DATE (if required)
ABSTRACT
1. This is the first NPIC basic report on the launch assist device (LAD) tekt area at Pavlograd Solid
Motor Test Facility, USSR. The LAD test area has been and continues to be used to support the develop-
ment and testing of LADs for a variety of liquid- and solid-propellant ICBMs. This report provides an
analysis of the LAD test area, of all significant test hardware, and of the probable test procedures utilized
at the facility. It is provided to assist in the production of an engineering analysis of the LAD test
equipment and test procedures. This report contains five annotated photographs, four conceptual draw-
ings, and a location map. The information cutoff date is S/WN)
INTRODUCTION
2. Pavlograd Solid Motor Test Facility (SMTF) is 6 nautical miles southeast of the city of Pavlograd in
the Ukrainian S.S.R. (Figure 1). The LAD test area (LTA) was constructed in the early 1970s to support
testing of LADs for the SS-17 and SS-18 ICBMs. Recent tests in the area, during the summer of 1983, were
possibly associated with the SS-X-24 ICBM but could also have been associated with an SS-18 follow-on
missile or even a new and as yet unidentified missile. A LAD is used to eject SS-17, -18, and -X-24 missiles
from the canister in the silo prior to ignition of the first-stage engine. The LAD consists of a sabot and a
solid-propellant gas generator. The sabot, a disc-like structure in the top of the LAD, provides a pressure
seal with the canister and protects the base of the missile. (S/WN)
3. The design, research, and development of the LADs are believed to take place at Pavlograd
Ordnance Research and Development Facility he LADs are produced at Pavlograd Solid 25X1
Motor Production Plant placed in shipping containers, and transported by truck to the
LTA to be tested. (S/WN)
BASIC DESCRIPTION
4. Pavlograd SMTF is a rectangular, multiple-
fence-secured facility situated on relatively flat
terrain in a predominately agricultural area of the
Ukrainian S.S.R. The facility is served by an all-
weather, gravel road; a rail line; and the transload-
ing facility at the nearby Pavlograd Solid Motor
Production Plant. (S/WN)
5. The LTA consists of a LAD test position
(LTP), a LAD-related test position (LRTP), and sup-
port facilities. The LTA also serves as a parking area
for support vehicles and as a boneyard for an
assortment of materials used at the Pavlograd
Complex. (S/WN)
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FIGURE 1. LOCATION OF PAVLOGRAD SOLID MOTOR TEST FACILITY, USSR
LAD Test Position
6. The LTP (Figure 2) consists of the following
components (Figure 3):
? the subsurface position foundation,
? the base ring,
? the cylindrical tiedown structure,
? extension poles,
? the LAD test apparatus,
? the upper retaining ring,
? the weight simulator, and
? the dome top. (S/WN)
7. The LTP contains a subsurface
position
foundation, in diameter and at leastL_
meters deep. An underground conduit connects
the foundation to the nearby control bunker.
(S/WN)
Base Ring
8. The base ring appears to be a large seg-
mented ring with 12 holes in the inside rim. This
ring is placed directly on the subsurface founda-
tion. (S/WN)
Cylindrical Tiedown Structure
9. The cylindrical tiedown structure is a cy-
lindrical framework, containing 12 evenly spaced
cylindrical sleeves, that is placed on the base ring.
The tiedown structure, a major component of the
LTP, secures and properly orients the test articles
during testing. (S/WN)
10. A set of 12 extension poles are inserted,
one by one, through the sleeves in the tiedown
structure and into the base ring. The extension
poles align the LTP and secure the tiedown struc-
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ture to the foundation. An additional set of four
extension poles supports and secures the dome
top. (S/WN)
LAD Test Apparatus
11. The LAD test apparatus is a cylindrical
test structure that is inserted into the cylindrical
tiedown structure. This apparatus possibly simu-
lates the missile canister. (S/WN)
Upper Retaining Ring
12. The upper retaining ring is a doughnut-
shaped structure containing 12 cone-shaped re-
tainers. This ring is fitted over the set of 12 exten-
sion poles and is attached to the top of the
tiedown structure. (S/WN)
Weight Simulator
13. The weight simulator is a cylindrical ob-
ject that simulates the weight of a missile during a
test. (S/WN)
Dome Top
14. The top dome is a metal
structure that is in diameter at the base
and tapers to at the top. The dome top
appears to restrain test articles during a live test
and is secured to the cylindrical tiedown structure
by the set of four extension poles which extend
through the upper retaining ring. The dome may
also serve as an environmental shelter when the
test position is fully assembled. (S/WN)
LAD Test Position Operations
15. The following sequence is probably fol-
lowed to prepare the LTP for a test. The LAD is
inserted into the subsurface position foundation.
The LAD test apparatus, which possibly simulates
the missile canister, is then removed from its pallet
and inserted into the tiedown structure. The 12
cone-shaped retainers on the upper retaining ring
are then fitted over the protruding extension
poles, and the upper retaining ring is attached to
the top of the tiedown structure. The weight
simulator is attached to the dome top, and to-
gether the two are lowered onto the top of the
tiedown structure. The base of the dome top is
then attached to the set of four extension poles.
(S/W N)
16. LADs are live test fired at the LTP under
simulated launch conditions. During the test
launch sequence, the LAD's solid-propellant gas
generator is ignited, and the sabot is forced up-
ward through the LAD test apparatus (Figures 4, 5,
and 6). It is assumed that the resulting pressure
drives the dome top, the weight simulator, and the
set of four extension poles upward. It cannot be
determined whether the expended LAD is re-
tained in the LAD test apparatus or remains within
the subsurface position foundation. Following a
test, the LTP is disassembled, and the LAD test
apparatus, the upper retaining ring, the extension
poles, the weight simulator, and the dome top are
removed from the LTP. (S/WN)
LAD-Related Test Position
17. A silo/canister compatability test position
(Figure 7) supported SS-17 and -18 component
testing until early 1979. During the SS-17 and -18
compatability test programs, this position con-
sisted of a test pit composed of a subsurface
circular foundation. Since no components used in
operational silo liners were ever seen, the test pit
was most likely only as deep enough as a small
part of the length of the SS-17/-18 canister. An
umbrella-like environmental cover was usually po-
sitioned atop the test pit when the erector mecha-
nism was in the horizontal position. The cover is
similar in appearance to the covers used at missile
silos during maintenance and construction activity.
Following the completion of the SS-17/-18 test
programs, the position was slightly modified,
probably to support component testing for a new
missile system(s). (S/WN)
18. This test position is now referred to as
the LRTP and currently consists of the following
(Figure 8):
? the erector mechanism,
? the test pit,
? the canister-transloading/-alignment
ramp, and
? the probable visual/protective screen.
(S/W N)
19. The erector mechanism is a 24-meter-
long, hollow, rectangular lattice structure that pi-
vots from a horizontal to a vertical position. The
mechanism is raised by a hydraulic in-pad erector
(Continued p. 11)
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DIMENSIONS IN METERS
FIGURE 4. POSTULATED PRE- AND POSTTEST LTP CONFIGURATIONS USING AN SS-18 LAD
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25X1?
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IV
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Zox-I
a
PROBABLE VISUAL/
PROTECTIVE SCREEN
I DIMENSIONS IN METERS
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which is housed in the hydraulic pit on the north
side of the base of the erector. This pit is
the vertical position. A shelf, square, is
attached to the east side of the erector. This shelf
has a diameter aperture in the center
and probably serves as a test article preparation
stand. A fixed hoist beam/arm is attached to the
top of the erector mechanism. (S/WN)
ince a ruary 1962, the erector has remained in
20. The test pit is a circular hole in the apron
which is beneath the erector mechanism when the
mechanism is in the vertical position. The test pit
simulates at least the upper portion of a missile
silo; however, it lacks the major headworks and
silo wall components used in the construction of
full-depth silos. (S/WN)
Canister-Transloading/-Alignment Ramp
21. This ramp is a ladderlike structure that is
aligned with the erector mechanism when the
mechanism is in the horizontal position. The ramp
is used during the loading of a missile canister or
canister sections into the erector mechanism.
(S/WN)
Probable Visual/Protective Screen
tivity. The enclosure is long,
wide, and high. (S/WN)
22. The probable visual/protective screen
abuts the south side of the erector mechanism.
The screen is composed of a series of rectangular
panels arranged on the apron to form an enclo-
sure. Probable test articles have been seen in this
enclosure, possibly for protection during test ac-
LAD-Related Test Position Operations
23. Following the conclusion of the SS-17
and -18 programs, the test position remained un-
changed until June 1979, when paving blocks next
to the test pit were removed in preparation for
modifications (Figure 9). By February 1982, the
erector mechanism had been permanently placed
in the vertical position. The test pit was probably
then backfilled, thus eliminating its previous func-
tion. In addition, the environmental cover has
been discarded and has remained in the boneyard
since 1981. A scenario of test operations at this
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position has not been determined. (S/WN)
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Support Facilities
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24. The following facilities support both the
LTA and the LRTP:
? the test article checkout building,
? two probable support buildings,
? the control bunker,
? two lighting towers, and
? one lightning arrester. (S/WN)
Test Article Checkout Building
25. This semiburied building,
meters, is probably used for the final checkout and
preparation of LADs and other test articles.
(S/WN)
Probable Support Buildings
26. The precise function of these buildings
near the checkout facility has not been deter-
mined. (S/WN)
27. The buried control bunker is a
The bunker has a reinforced concrete entrance
and faces the LTP. Two empty SS-18 missile can-
ister sections, one on each side of the bunker, are
probably used for storage. A probable camera/
monitoring position is just northwest of the
bunker. The time of construction and the proxim-
ity to the LTP indicate that LAD testing is con-
trolled from the bunker. (S/WN)
Lighting Towers
28. Two 22-meter-high lighting towers are
along the eastern edge of the test area. (S/WN)
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Lightning Arrester
29. Ahigh lightning arrester, with 25X1
possible lighting fixtures attached, is on the eas-
tern edge of the test apron. (S/WN)
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Test-Associated Items and
Ground Support Equipment
30. Since the LTA is also used as a boneyard
and parking area for ground support equipment
(GSE) at the Pavlograd Complex, it is difficult to
accurately determine the function of a variety of
items and pieces of GSE seen in the area. How-
ever, analysis of activity in the area reveals that
certain items and pieces of GSE are directly associ-
ated with the tests conducted at this LTA. The
following items and pieces of GSE have been seen
on several occasions in the LTA:
? portable instrumentation towers,
? environmental shelters,
? a bullet-shaped test article,
? road transporters, and
? a mobile crane. (S/WN)
delivered to the LTA in February 1983, have been
used to cover/conceal test-related items during
testing. (S/WN)
Bullet-Shaped Test Article
33. This article, first seen in the LTA in Au-
gust 1981, was removed from the boneyard and
placed on the test apron next to the LRTP during
LAD testing in the summer of 1983. The function
of this article is not known. (S/WN)
Road Transporters
34. Two road transporters (MAZ-537 prime
movers with lowboy trailers) are used to transport
items such as canister sections and LADs to and
from the test area. The transporters are also used
to support the nearby horizontal test position.
(S/WN)
31. Three towers are usually placed near ei-
ther the LTP or the LRTP during testing. Each of
these self-supporting towers is
meters, and each contains three instrumentation/
work levels. (S/WN)
32. Four, five-sided environmental shelters,
35. A mobile crane is usually on the test 25X1
apron and is used for both the assembly/disassem-
bly of the test positions and the handling of items
such as LADs and test articles. (S/WN)
All applicable satellite imagery acquired from
preparation of this report. The imagery of F_
Iwas used in the
provided the most recent usable coverage. (S/WN)
MAPS OR CHARTS
DMAAC. US Air Target Chart, Series 200, Sheet FP 0234-22R, 6th ed, Sep 81, scale 1:200,000 (SECRET)
RELATED DOCUMENTS
NPIC. PIR-064/79 Launch Assist Device grad Solid Motor Test Facility, USSR
(S), Sep 79
REQUIREMENT
COMIREX J99
Project 544036J
Comments and queries regarding this report are welcome. They may be directed to
Strategic Forces Division, Imagery Exploitation Group, NPIC,
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