SOVIET TANK PROGRAM CHANGING CHELYABINSK TRACTOR AND APC PLANT, USSR (SWN) (SANITIZED)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90T00784R000200420002-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 2, 2011
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: October 18, 1983
• Content Type: REPORT

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NPIC/IEG (10/83)
COPY OF
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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/02 : CIA-RDP90T00784R000200420002-6
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(c) NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER
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Attachment t 25X1
NPIC/IEG (10/83)
18 OCTOBER 1983
SOVIET TANK PROGRAM CHANGING
CHELYABINSK TRACTOR AND APC PLANT, USSR (SWN)
1. SIGNIFICANCE: THE CONFIRMATION OF CHELYABINSK TRACTOR AND
APC PLANT AS A TANK PRODUCER, THE VERY RECENT IDENTIFICATION
OF PROBABLE M1983/1 TANK PRODUCTION AT OMSK, AND THE
NOTICEABLE REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF T-72 TANKS SEEN AT
NIZHNIY TAGIL IS EVIDENCE THAT MAJOR CHANGES AND/OR INCREASES
IN SOVIET TANK PROGRAMS MAY BE UNDERWAY. (SWN)
2. REMARKS: FOUR PROBABLE T-72 MEDIUM TANKS WERE ON FLATCARS AT
CHELYABINSK TRACTOR AND APC PLANT WAITING 25X1
SHIPMENT. THE CANVAS-COVERED TANKS WERE IN WOODEN SHIPPING
FRAMEWORKS IN THE NEW FABRICATION AREA OF THE PLANT. EARLIER
EVIDENCE OF TANK PRODUCTION AT CHELYABINSK INCLUDED THE
PRESENCE TANK CHASSIS AND T-72 - SHAPED TANK 25X1
TURRETS AT THE PLANT SINCE AUGUST 1982 AND MARCH 1983,
RESPECTIVELY; THE NEARLY COMPLETED UPGRADE OF THE ASSOCIATED
TEST AREA SINCE OCTOBER 1981; AND THE IDENTIFICATION OF A
T-72 TANK AT THIS TEST AREA IN JULY 1983. TANK TURRETS,
SIZED AND SHAPED LIKE T-72 TURRETS, HAVE BEEN PRODUCED AT THE
ADJACENT CHELYABINSK STEEL AND MACHINE TOOL PLANT ORDZ
FOR MANY YEARS. CRATED GUN TUBES WERE ALSO 25X1
FIRST IDE.NTTF1D HERE IN MARCH 1983. (SWN)
ANALYST'S COMMENTS -- IT HAD BEEN ASSESSED THAT ANY TANK
CHASSIS AND TANK TURRETS PRODUCED AT THE TWO CHELYABINSK
PLANTS WERE SHIPPED ELSEWHERE FOR FINAL AS
PRESENCE OF COMPLETED TANKS AT CHELYABINSK
SUGGESTS FINAL TANK ASSEMBLY IS PERFORMED HERE. UNTIL NOW,
THE PLANT HAD BEEN ASSESSED TO PRODUCE ONLY CIVILIAN TRACTORS
AND BMP ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIERS, ALTHOUGH, NO BMP HAVE
BEEN SEEN AT THE PLANT FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THE PLANT PRODUCED
TANKS DURING WORLD WAR II AND CONTINUED TO PRODUCE TANKS
UNTIL ABOUT 1960. TANKS REPORTEDLY PRODUCED AT CHELYABINSK
INCLUDED THE JS SERIES OF TANKS, THE T-34 AND THE T-54. (SWN)
These notes have been prepared for briefing purposes only and should not be used for detailed analytical wo
Their use should be restricted to the particular briefing board(s) they were prepared for and must be consider
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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/02 : CIA-RDP90T00784R000200420002-6
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/02 : CIA-RDP90T00784R000200420002-6
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(c) NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER
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TANK CHASSIS AT THE PLANT COULD BE T-72, T-80, 25X1
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Attachment to
NPIC/IEG (10/83)
18 OCTOBER 1983
OR M1983/1 CHASSIS. HOWEVER, THE TURRETS APPEAR TO HAVE THE
SHAPE OF A T-64, T-72 OR M1983/1. THE INCREASED ARMOR
PROTECTION, A UNIQUE SIGNATURE TO THE T-80, IS NOT EVIDENT ON
THE TURRETS SEEN AT EITHER OF THE TWO CHELYABINSK PLANTS.
THE IMAGERY INTERPRETABILITY IS SUCH THAT THIS FEATURE SHOULD
BE OBVIOUS. SINCE A T-64 TURRET WOULD PROBABLY NOT BE PUT ON
A T-72 - BASED CHASSIS AND SINCE NO TURRETS FOR THE T-80 WERE
PRESENT, THE TANK PRODUCTION IS ALMOST CERTAINLY FOR A T-72
SERIES OR THE M198311. BECAUSE THE OMSK TANK PLANT
VOROSHILOV 174 IS THE PROBABLE PRODUCER OF 25X1
THE M1983/1 TANK AND IT WOULD BE ATYPICAL FOR A NEW TANK SUCH
AS THE M1983/1 TO BE PRODUCED IN TWO LOCATIONS, T-72 SERIES
TANKS ARE PROBABLY BEING PRODUCED AT CHELYABINSK. (TSR)
A COLLATERAL SOURCE HAS STATED THAT T-72 ENGINES ARE PRODUCED
AT CHELYABINSK. THE ALMOST COMPLETED VEHICLE ACCELERATION
TEST TRACK AT T E CHELYABINSK ARMORED VEHICLE TEST AREA
COULD BE USED TO EVALUATE THE TANKS PRODUCED 25X1
AT THE PLANT. THE T-72 AT THE-TEST AREA DURING JULY 1983 MAY
HAVE BEEN EVIDENCE OF THE FACTORY AND/OR MILITARY ACCEPTANCE
TESTING OF T-72 PRODUCED AND IS CONSISTENT WITH THAT SEEN AT
THE TEST AREAS ASSOCIATED OTHER SOVIET TANK
PLANTS. 25X1
CURRENTLY NIZHNIY TAGIL IS ASSESSED TO PRODUCE THE T-72
SERIES TANKS AS WELL AS THE T-80. IF T-72 PRODUCTION WERE TO
OCCUR SOLELY OR PRIMARILY AT CHELYABINSK, NIZHNIY TAGIL COULD
CONCENTRATE ON FULL SERIES PRODUCTION OF THE T-80. SINCE
AUGUST 1983, A SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN THE NUMBER OF MEDIUM
TANKS SEEN AT THE SHIPPING YARD OF THE PLANT HAS BEEN
OBSERVED. THIS DECLINE G OUT OF T-72
PRODUCTION. (SWN) 25X1
T-72 SERIES HAS BEEN IN PRODUCTION HERSINCE 1973.
IT CAN NOT BE DETERMINED WHAT EFFECT T-72 PRODUCTION (IF
CONFIRMED) AT CHELYABINSK WOULD HAVE ON T-72 PRODUCTION AT
NIZHNIY TAGIL TANK/RP. CAR MFG PLT 183 THE 25X1
COORDINATES 55-09-15N 061-28-17E (S)
COLLATERAL REFERENCES: CIA, IR FIRM NO 7011741, PLANT
These notes have been prepared for briefing purposes only and should not be used for detailed analytical wor~
Their use should be restricted to the particular briefing board(s) they were prepared for and must be considere
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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/02 : CIA-RDP90T00784R000200420002-6