INCREASE MILITARY ACTIVITY IN THE TRANSCAUCASUS MILITARY DISTRICT OF THE USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78T05162A000100010091-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 2, 2012
• Sequence Number: 91
• Publication Date: June 1, 1970
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/10/02 : CIA-RDP78T05162A000100010091-0
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10
NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC
INTERPRETATION CENTER
PHOTOGRAPHIC
INTERPRETATION
REPORT
INCREASED MILITARY ACTIVITY
IN THE TRANSCALICASUS
MILITARY DISTRICT OF THE USSR
GROUP I. EXCLUDED FROM
AUTOMATIC DOWNGRADING
AND DECLASSIFICATION
117P-SEC-RET--
JUNE 1970
COPY NO 118
6 PAGES
PIR-036/70
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INCREASED MILITARY ACTIVITY
IN THE TRANSCAUCASUS MILITARY DISTRICT OF THE USSR
INTRODUCTION
1. An increase in Soviet military activity in the Transcaucasus Military District of the
USSR which borders Turkey and Iran was observed on KEYHOLE photography during the
period of June 1968 to April 1970. Information on this activity has so far been reported only
on a mission-to-mission basis. A review of the photographic evidence that has been
accumulating, particularly during the period of August 1969 to April 1970, has been
undertaken in order to summarize this activity in one report.
2. The increase in activity observed is primarily defensive in nature and consists of the
following:
(1) An increase in ground order-of-battle equipment at ground force installations,
including the introduction of types of equipment not previously observed at these
installations.
(2) The construction of new defensive missile installations, including SA-3 sites, an
SA-2 site, and an SA-5 site.
(3) The construction of new runways and hangarettes at airfields.
(4) The construction and expansion of electronics installations.
Tables 1 and 2 provide details of this activity. The tables are keyed to Figures 1 and 2.
ACTIVITY AT GROUND FORCE INSTALLATIONS
3. Ground force activity consisted of an increase in the amount of equipment observed
and the introduction of new items of equipment at 18 of approximately 120 military
installations. A substantial increase in the number of decontamination trucks at one
installation and in the number of tanks at another installation was observed near Tbilisi
(Tiflis), the capital of the Transcaucasus Military District. Items of equipment observed for
the first time include FROG-6 training vehicles at three facilities, field artillery (FA) and
antiaircraft artillery (AAA) pieces at three facilities, SA-2 equipment at three facilities,
decontamination units at five facilities, and BRDM-2 amphibious armored reconnaissance
vehicles at one facility, which also had an increase of other BRDM vehicles, armored
personnel carriers, and trucks. An airborne unit was observed at a military barracks that
previously housed a regular ground force unit.
ACTIVITY AT DEFENSIVE MISSILE INSTALLATIONS
4. Continued construction of defensive missile installations was observed during this
period. The main emphasis appears to be on the short-range, low-level SA-3 site. Five SA-3
sites were observed under construction, one at Tbilisi and four at Baku, of which two
became operational within the reporting period. This makes a total of 14 SA-3 sites
observed in the Transcaucasus Military District. A new operational SA-2 site was seen in
September 1969, for a total of 52 deployed SA-2 sites in the Transcaucasus. An SA-5 site,
the only one in this military district, was in an initial stage of construction when first
observed on photography of April 1968 and was nearly complete when last observed in June
1969.
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