CONSTRUCTION AND IMPROVEMENTS AT ANGOLAN AIRFIELDS, MARCH 1976 - JULY 1977

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78T05162A000500010019-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 20, 2011
• Sequence Number: 19
• Publication Date: August 1, 1977
• Content Type: REPORT

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Top Secret
NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC
INTERPRETATION CENTER
PHOTOGRAPHIC
I NTERPRETATION
REPORT
CONSTRUCTION AND IMPROVEMENTS
AT ANGOLAN AIRFIELDS,
MARCH 1976 - JULY 1977 (S)
Top Secret
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PIR-018/77
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Warning Notice
Sensitive Intelligence Sources and Methods Involved
(WNI NTEL)
NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION
Unauthorized Disclosure Subject to Criminal Sanctions
NOFORN- Not Releasable to Foreign Nationals
NOCONTRACT- Not Releasable to Contractors or
Contractor/Consultants
PROPIN- Caution-Proprietary Information Involved
USIBONLY- USIB Departments Only
ORCON- Dissemination and Extraction of Information
Controlled by Originator
REL This Information has been Authorized for
Release to .. .
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Top Rat-rat R i i CC
CONSTRUCTION AND IMPROVEMENTS AT ANGOLAN AIRFIELDS
MARCH 1976-JULY 1977 (S)
1. (TSR) This report summarizes construction. and improvements at airfields in Angola as ob-
served on satellite imagery from March 1976 to July 1977. Figure 1 shows the location of these air-
fields and is keyed to Table 1 which indicates the status of the construction and improvements. A
description of the activity at these airfields follows.
2. (TSR) howed that the runways at Pereira de Eca and Serpa
Pinto were damaged and unserviceable Pereira de Eca Airfield, the
craters that had probably been caused by set charges on the approximately 2,500-meter blacktop
runway had been repaired, and the facility appeared to be serviceable. No aircraft were present.
Likewise of Serpa Pinto Airfield showed that damage to the approx-
imately 3,570-meter northwest/southeast blacktop runway, link taxiways, and parking aprons had
been repaired, and the facility was operational. Two FISHBED and two CURL aircraft were obser-
ved.
3. (TSR) A new serviceable airfield, Mocamedes Airfield New, was identified 4 nautical miles
(nm) south of Mocamedes The airfield has an approximately 2,500-
by 30-meter east-northeast/west-southwest blacktop runway and 20 revetted hardstands, eight of
which are along a dispersal taxiway on the north side of the airfield (Figure 2). The facility is to be
for joint. civil-military use and is approximately 130 nm north of the Angola-Namibia border.
4. (TSR) Two additional airfields were observed under construction; however, work has
halted on both of the facilities. Construction appears to have stopped on the natural-surface runway
at Lobito Airfield Southwest a facility first identified
this installation showed no activity. Construction also appears to have ceased at
Cabo Ledo Airfield, approximately 50 nm south of Luanda. the approx-
imately 2,400-meter west-southwest/east-northeast runway had been in an early-to-mid stage of
construction; a parking apron, two link taxiways, and support buildings were also under construc-
t ion (Figure 3). On subsequent coverage no additional construction was observed on
either the runway or support facilities.
5. (TSR) Revetted hardstands, each large enough to accommodate a jet fighter, have been
constructed at six different airfields within Angola, including Cabinda. At one of these airfields,
Nova Lisboa (Huambo), some of the hardstands had been removed.
ten completed revetted hardstands and two hardstands under constr
only four of these hardstands were usable, the remainder having been
leveled. In addition to the construction of the hardstands at Luanda Airfield, the approximately
3.740-meter northeast/southwest runway has been resurfaced. FISHBED, FRESCO, and transport
aircraft are regularly seen at this installation. The total of revetted hardstands at these airfields is
summarized in Table 1.
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Top Secret RUFF
Sibiti
CONGO
SRAZZAV).4L
Luso
Cangurn e
dli9
L rto Alexandre
Nova
Lisbo
Ondangua
0 100 200 Mil-
0 1l0 200 Kilometers
Numbers keyed to Table 1.
Henrique
de Carvalho
Lubondai
ila Teixeira
de Sousa
FIGURE 1. LOCATIONS OF AIRFIELD CONSTRUCTION AND IMPROVEMENTS IN ANGOLA
Table 1. Airfield Construction and Improvements (Items keyed to Figure 1)
This table in its entirety is classified TOP SECRET RUFF
Item
Airfield
Cabinda Airfield
Ngage Airfield
Luanda Airfield
Henrique de Carvalho
(Saurimo) Airfield
Lobito Airfield SW
Nova Lisboa (Huambo)
Airfield
Serpa Pinto Airfield
-2-
Top Secret
ANGOLA
??~- ~,ti International boundary - ^- R broad
O* National caoital Road
Construction
Status
12 revetted hardstands
3 revetted hardstands
26 revetted hardstands;
runway resurfaced
Construction halted
on runway
8 revetted hardstands
Construction halted
on runway
4 revetted hardstands
Repaired runway now
serviceable
New serviceable airfield
with 20 revetted
hardstands
Repaired runway now
serviceable
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Top Secret RUFF
MAPS OR CHARTS
DMA. Operational Navigational Charts, Sheets M-3, N-3, and P-3, scale 1:1,000,000 (UNCLASSIFIED)
REQUIREMENT
Project 14348()NI)
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Top Secret
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List of Conversion Factors by Classification
MILLIMETERS
0.0394
INCHES
KILOGRAMS
2.2046
POUNDS)AVOIR.)
CENTIMETERS
0.3937
INCHES
POUNOS)AVOIR.)
0.4536
KILOGRAMS
INCHES
25.4000
MILLIMETERS
SHORT TONS
0.9072
METRIC TONS
INCHES
2.5400
CENTIMETERS
METRIC TONS
1.1023
SHORT TONS
FEET
0.3048
METERS
METRIC TONS
0.9842
LONG TONS
FEET
0.0003
KILOMETERS
LONG TONS
1.0160
METRIC TONS
YARDS
0.9144
METERS
METERS
32808
FEET
METERS
0.0005
MILES(NAUTICAL)
METERS
1.0936
YARDS
KILOMETERS
3280.8400
FEET
KILOMETERS
0.6214
MILES(STATUTE)
KILOMETERS
0.5400
MILES(NAUTICAL)
LITERS
0.2642
GALLONS
MILES(STATUTE)
1 6093
KILOMETERS
LITERS
0.0063
BARRELS(POL)
MILES(NAUTICAL)
60761154
FEET
LITERS
0.0010
CUBIC METERS
MILES(NAUTICAL)
1 8520
KILOMETERS
GALLONS
3.7854
LITERS
MILES(NAUTICAL)
1852.0000
METERS
GALLONS
0.1337
CUBIC FEET
GALLONS
0.0238
BARRELS(POL)
GALLONS
0.0038
CUBIC METERS
BUSHELS
0.0352
CUBIC METERS
CUBIC FEET
7.4805
GALLONS
CUBIC FEET
0.1781
BARRELS(POL)
SQUARE CENTIMETERS
0.1550
SQUARE INCHES
CUBIC FEET
0.0283
CUBIC METERS
SOUAREINCHES
6.4516
SQUARE CENTIMETERS
CUBIC YARDS
0.7646
CUBIC METERS
SQUARE FEET
0.0929
SQUARE METERS
BARRELS(POL)
158.9873
LITERS
SQUARE YARDS
0.8361
SQUARE METERS
BARRELS(POL)
42.0000
GALLONS
SQUARE METERS
10.7639
SQUARE FEET
BARRELS)POL)
5.6146
CUBIC FEET
SQUARE METERS
1.1960
SQUARE YARDS
BAR RELS)PDL)
0.1590
CUBIC METERS
SQUARE METERS
1.0000
CENTARES
CUBIC METERS
1000.0000
LITERS
SQUARE METERS
0.0002
ACRES
CUBIC METERS
264.1721
GALLONS
SQUARE METERS
0.0001
HECTARES
CUBIC METERS
35.3147
CUBIC FEET
ACRES
4046.8564
SQUARE METERS
CUBIC METERS
28.3776
BUSHELS
ACRES
0.4047
HECTARES
CUBIC METERS
62898
BARRELS(POL)
HECTARES
10000.0000
SQUARE METERS
CUBIC METERS
1.3080
CUBIC YARDS
HECTARES
2.4711
ACRES
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