SOVIET BELIEVED TESTING ROCKET ABLE TO GUIDE FROM ORBIT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70B00338R000200210011-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 28, 2003
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: April 3, 1968
• Content Type: OPEN

Approved For Release 2003/11/19 : CIA-RDP70B00338R000200210011-1
Soviet Believed Testing Rout
Able to Guide Bomb From Orbit
By EVERT CLARK
Special to The New York Times
WASHINGTON, April 2 -
flight-testing in secret a ma-
neuverable rocket stage Uiiat
could be used to guide bombs
down from orbit or to send in-
struments to the moon.
Three Russian space pay-
loads launched in recent
months have performed maneu-
vers not seen before. They
were the Cosmos -185 on Oct. 27
and Cosmos 198 on Dec. 27,
1967, and the. Cosmos 209,
flown on March 22 this year.
All were launched from
Tyuratam into orbits inclined
at 65 degrees from the Equa-
tor. American tracking net-
works observed that all three
went first into low orbits, then
-limbed to near-circular orbits
about 500 miles above the
earth.
them as much as 15 minutes)
before they are due to strike
a target.
On the other hand, the war-
head on -the bombardment sys-
tem comes in so low that the
warning time is only about one-
third that long. .
Some observers here fear
that the recent Russian shots;
may represent a step upward
from this FOBS system to the
so-called MOBS - multiple-
orbit bombardment system
-that Soviet officials have dis,
cussed publicly since 1961.
A multiple-orbit system
would station the warhead in
orbit for a time, rather than
have it travel only part-way
around the earth. The weapon
could be left in space for many
months - or sent up during
a time of crisis, for psycho-
.Observers 'here are paying
close attention to the three
flights. The memory is fresh
here of Moscow's clandestine
development in 1966 and 1967
of a so-called fractional orbital
bombardment system.
The system uses a miss,ie.to
put a warhead into a very low
earth orbit from which it can
be ordered down onto enemy
territory before it completes
one circuit of the earth.
Intercontinental missile war-
heads usually are lobbed high
into space, like a mortar shell,
and defensive radars can spot
BOMB-HOOKET TEST
BY SOVIET HINTED
I
Continued From Page 1, Col. 4
.finally confirmed the existence
of the system in a news con-
ference last fall.
The stationing of warheads
in orbit would violate the
treaty on outer space, whereas
the FOBS does not because its
payload-technically at least-
does not remain aloft long
enough to be considered in
outer space.
But the treaty does not pre-
clude the development of the
techniques for either a FOBS
or a MOBS system.
All Passed Over U.S.
None of the FOBS flights-
two successful ones late in
1966 and nine successful ones
last year-passed over the
United States. Some officials
believed that the Russians de-
liberately chose launching tra-
jectories that would keep the
satellites from passing over
logical purposes or for use. It
could be recalled safely to earth
later if not used during the
crisis.
It is understood that there
is no strong evidence now to
link the recent launchings to
the development of the frac-I
tional orbit system. On the
other hand, Government ana-
lysts argued among themselves'
for some mont a bi they;
it was. Former 'Sec r of
Defense RobertAt ,T irra
Continued on Page 4, Column 4
American territory to avoid
any irritation.
The paths of the three recent
flights, however, did pass over
the United States. In fact they
covered almost every inhabited
part of the globe, passing al-
most as far north as the Arctic
Circle and almost as far south
as the Antarctic Circle.
Some scientific observers
here and abroad think it likely
that the maneuvering stage is
intended to insert instrumented
spacecraft into orbits around
the moon. Others think it will
be used with some new, more
versatile Soviet reconnaissance
satellite.
But all agree that once the
stage has been developed it
could be used for any of these
missions.
A maneuverable upper stage
rocket would be useful for
manned rendezvous flights. But
observers here noted that the
recent tests had been made at
65-degree. inclinations, not at
the 51 degrees now preferred
by the Russians for manned
flights. Accordingly, observers
both and itnm4ined
flight satellites by radio com-
mand or by piloting. American
experts have assumed that the
Soviet Union also has the abili-
ty to do this if it chose to.
Source lave Russia is
now test_.g eitriat capability.
Approved For Release 2003/11/19 : CIA-RDP70B00338R000200210011-1