DISCLOSURE / FILE
A December 1973 CIA Intelligence Information Report on the Soviet Sary Shagan Weapons Testing Range, including facilities, missile warhead details, rumored laser research, and an unidentified aerial phenomenon observed by the source.
CIA-UAP-011, The Sary Shagan Weapons Testing Range
A December 1973 CIA Intelligence Information Report on the Soviet Sary Shagan Weapons Testing Range, including facilities, missile warhead details, rumored laser research, and an unidentified aerial phenomenon observed by the source.
The report, numbered FIRK-311/01638-77, draws on a former Soviet citizen who described the Sary Shagan range, including its System-75 (SA-2) and System-300/Aldan (ABM-1 GALOSH) warheads checked at Site 4. It relays hearsay about laser weapon experiments involving powerful antennas at an unknown location on the range. It also records the source's late-Summer 1973 sighting at Site 7 of a bright green circular object that widened into several concentric circles before fading, with no sound.
Also included if li•i~H information on the followina: System•7S [SA•2) and Syttea-300/ Aldan (ABM-1 GALOSH) \.arheads·: rumored laser resefn:h; ud aa unidentifi ed aer i a l phenomenon. End of Sumaan.p.1
Within 10 to 15 seconds of observation, the green circle widened and within a brief period of time several green concentric | circles formed around the mass. Within minutes the coloring dis- ; appeared. There was no sound, such as an explosion, associated with the phenomenon.p.3
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1 Approved for Re l e ase 2026 intelligence lntormanon 1'\cpon WAllr-.1:,;c ; r,;onci-: , SENSITIVE 11'..J'ELLl(.LN(.;£,; sou11c;i:;s A~D. ~11, 1 fl(IUS 1:-. n11.n I l Ctuuit., d bw ■•<DlO•d l9f10fli"'11 Offiur. h•ntPt fu•,n O,,.., o l 0.UOulftt•'..,. $.h•dvt• •' 1.0 , 1tUl l • ll'ftPO U lbl• to dto••'"''- d • •· •f OliltO nMt tic 6"'91tiOc,, ,.o,A, o,11c , 0 1A1C o r orttArtON$ THIS IS AN INFORMATION REPORT, NOT ~INALLY· fVALUATEC, lt-;lTHLICENCf CON f 1 D f .N f I AL REPORT NO. FIi< K - :5 1 1 / 0 l 6 ~ ~ · •• DATE 0IS TR. . ?. [~ Dec emh~ r '~ •• COUN T RY • USSR D~ November 19;2 - ~6vemher 1973 Sl•BJECT The Sa ry Shagan .weapons Testing Range F IELD NO. ACO Ge rmany I former So,·iet cit i : en who se :- v,·.'. SOURCE I Tins r eport ) I Summ.. r}' : This report · provides limited inforution on the Sary Sh agan weapons testing ·range , to• include facilities, work •reu, security fencing, the regional headquar~ers (V/ Ch 03080). a,,d a warhead checkout unit ( Vl'Ch 03142). Also included if li•i~H information on the followina: System•7S [SA•2) and Syttea-300/ Aldan (ABM-1 GALOSH) \.arheads·: rumored laser resefn:h; ud aa unidentifi ed aer i a l phenomenon. End of Sumaan. · 5 " 3 3910084- / -5 -:> 2 l..,..C,QNFID itlTIAt
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i oo nope istorenn SCTICE - SENSITIVE iNTELLIGENCE > ES AND METHODS INVOLVE . +TRKE-311/01638-77 t an — 10. Besides the System-75 SA-2] warheads, Site 4 also | checxed the warheads for a missi’e(s) known as the System- 300 and/or Aldan. (Field Comment: ‘ource did not new if Aldan was | another name for the Svstem-50!: rissilie, or if they were two i Similar missiles.)j The System-3(¢0/Aidun warneals after being checked at Site 4 were taken to Site 35 for iaunching. According to rumor, the missile was for antimissile defense (orotivo raketnaya oborona ~- PRO). (Fieid Comment: Source identified the Systen- S00/Aldan missile in available reference material as the | ABM- 1/GALOSH. ) li. The warhead for the System-300/Aldan missile was about two meters long and 80 to 100 certimeters in diameter. The war- | head weighed approximately 400 kilograms, and it contained an | unrecalled number of black cassettes, 45 x 12 centimeters, which housed an unknown number of metal balls (shariki!. Warheads for the System-75 [SA-2] missile had approximately 100 grey cassettes, 30 x 7 centimeters, each of which heid about 200 to 300 metal balls, ; each no more than 1.5 centimeters in diameter. (Field Comment: Source had no knowledge regarding nuclear warheads. He opined that all systems could be equipped vith nuclear warheads. However, Source stated all work done by his department was basically | experimental (opytnaya) .) Se | CO | | i 13. According to hearsay, experiments involving laser weapons were being conducted at an unknown location at the range. Sup- posedly, the tests involved powerful antennas (no further details). 14. On one evening in late Summer 1973, Source observed an €—-O-N-F EB EEE AS a
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SOE EEE IOP TTT WARNING NOTICE - SENSITIVE INTELLIGENCE |
i SOURCES AND METHODS INVOLVED |
| FIRK-311/01638-77
| - 5 - [
i unidentified phenomenon at Site 7. While watching a sport conm- |
petition between Canada and the. USSR on television, he stepped :
; outside for some air and observed an unidentified sharp (bright)
: green circular object or mass in the sky. The object was situated
: west of the site at‘an angle of sighting of approximately 70
i degrees. The altitude of the object was undeterminable. (Field
: Comment: Although there were no clouds in the sky that evening,
: Source believed that the green mass would have been higher than :
cloud level. Source could not estimate the diameter of the
| object.) Within 10 to 15 seconds of observation, the green circle
widened and within a brief period of time several green concentric |
circles formed around the mass. Within minutes the coloring dis- ;
appeared. There was no sound, such as an explosion, associated
with the phenomenon. (Field Comment: Source had no. opinion as
H to what this phenomenon was. The€¥@ was no resultant rumors. |
| Source could not provide any further details.)
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eeeConcatenated page-by-page transcript. Born-digital pages came through pdf.js; scanned pages were transcribed by Claude vision OCR. Pages marked unreadable failed multiple OCR retries (heavy redaction, microfilm artifacts, or blank separators) and are kept in place for audit.
1 Approved for Re l e ase 2026 intelligence lntormanon 1'\cpon WAllr-.1:,;c ; r,;onci-: , SENSITIVE 11'..J'ELLl(.LN(.;£,; sou11c;i:;s A~D. ~11, 1 fl(IUS 1:-. n11.n I l Ctuuit., d bw ■•<DlO•d l9f10fli"'11 Offiur. h•ntPt fu•,n O,,.., o l 0.UOulftt•'..,. $.h•dvt• •' 1.0 , 1tUl l • ll'ftPO U lbl• to dto••'"''- d • •· •f OliltO nMt tic 6"'91tiOc,, ,.o,A, o,11c , 0 1A1C o r orttArtON$ THIS IS AN INFORMATION REPORT, NOT ~INALLY· fVALUATEC, lt-;lTHLICENCf CON f 1 D f .N f I AL REPORT NO. FIi< K - :5 1 1 / 0 l 6 ~ ~ · •• DATE 0IS TR. . ?. [~ Dec emh~ r '~ •• COUN T RY • USSR D~ November 19;2 - ~6vemher 1973 Sl•BJECT The Sa ry Shagan .weapons Testing Range F IELD NO. ACO Ge rmany I former So,·iet cit i : en who se :- v,·.'. SOURCE I Tins r eport ) I Summ.. r}' : This report · provides limited inforution on the Sary Sh agan weapons testing ·range , to• include facilities, work •reu, security fencing, the regional headquar~ers (V/ Ch 03080). a,,d a warhead checkout unit ( Vl'Ch 03142). Also included if li•i~H information on the followina: System•7S [SA•2) and Syttea-300/ Aldan (ABM-1 GALOSH) \.arheads·: rumored laser resefn:h; ud aa unidentifi ed aer i a l phenomenon. End of Sumaan. · 5 " 3 3910084- / -5 -:> 2 l..,..C,QNFID itlTIAt
i oo nope istorenn SCTICE - SENSITIVE iNTELLIGENCE > ES AND METHODS INVOLVE . +TRKE-311/01638-77 t an — 10. Besides the System-75 SA-2] warheads, Site 4 also | checxed the warheads for a missi’e(s) known as the System- 300 and/or Aldan. (Field Comment: ‘ource did not new if Aldan was | another name for the Svstem-50!: rissilie, or if they were two i Similar missiles.)j The System-3(¢0/Aidun warneals after being checked at Site 4 were taken to Site 35 for iaunching. According to rumor, the missile was for antimissile defense (orotivo raketnaya oborona ~- PRO). (Fieid Comment: Source identified the Systen- S00/Aldan missile in available reference material as the | ABM- 1/GALOSH. ) li. The warhead for the System-300/Aldan missile was about two meters long and 80 to 100 certimeters in diameter. The war- | head weighed approximately 400 kilograms, and it contained an | unrecalled number of black cassettes, 45 x 12 centimeters, which housed an unknown number of metal balls (shariki!. Warheads for the System-75 [SA-2] missile had approximately 100 grey cassettes, 30 x 7 centimeters, each of which heid about 200 to 300 metal balls, ; each no more than 1.5 centimeters in diameter. (Field Comment: Source had no knowledge regarding nuclear warheads. He opined that all systems could be equipped vith nuclear warheads. However, Source stated all work done by his department was basically | experimental (opytnaya) .) Se | CO | | i 13. According to hearsay, experiments involving laser weapons were being conducted at an unknown location at the range. Sup- posedly, the tests involved powerful antennas (no further details). 14. On one evening in late Summer 1973, Source observed an €—-O-N-F EB EEE AS a
SOE EEE IOP TTT WARNING NOTICE - SENSITIVE INTELLIGENCE |
i SOURCES AND METHODS INVOLVED |
| FIRK-311/01638-77
| - 5 - [
i unidentified phenomenon at Site 7. While watching a sport conm- |
petition between Canada and the. USSR on television, he stepped :
; outside for some air and observed an unidentified sharp (bright)
: green circular object or mass in the sky. The object was situated
: west of the site at‘an angle of sighting of approximately 70
i degrees. The altitude of the object was undeterminable. (Field
: Comment: Although there were no clouds in the sky that evening,
: Source believed that the green mass would have been higher than :
cloud level. Source could not estimate the diameter of the
| object.) Within 10 to 15 seconds of observation, the green circle
widened and within a brief period of time several green concentric |
circles formed around the mass. Within minutes the coloring dis- ;
appeared. There was no sound, such as an explosion, associated
with the phenomenon. (Field Comment: Source had no. opinion as
H to what this phenomenon was. The€¥@ was no resultant rumors. |
| Source could not provide any further details.)
| |
'
| {
| |
i
| H
. 4
t |
|
| i
j
i ‘
, i
;
F }
eo ae
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