Archive case record

CIA-UAP-011, The Sary Shagan Weapons Testing Range

Date of account: 1973
Location: USSR
Source: uap_archive
Record updated: 2026-10-10

Record summary

This CIA Intelligence Information Report from December 1973 provides information on the Soviet Sary Shagan Weapons Testing Range, including details about its facilities, weapons systems (System-75 SA-2 and System-300/Aldan warheads), rumored laser weapon research, and unidentified aerial phenomenon observed at the site. A more redacted version of this report has been available on CIA's public website.

Published source text

Read the available text below. Archive transcriptions may contain OCR errors; later context is labelled separately. A recorded claim is not a finding that it happened.

Source page 1

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1 Appr oved for Rel 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(IU S 1:-.n11.n I l Ctuu it., d bw ■•<DlO•d l9f10fli"'11 Offiu r. h•ntPt fu•,n O,,.. ,o l 0.UOulftt•'..,. $.h•dvt • •' 1.0 , 1tUl l • ll'ft PO U lbl• to dto••'"''- d • •· •f Olilt O nMt tic 6"'91tiO c,, ,.o,A, o,11c , 0 1A1C o r orttArtO N$ THIS IS AN INFORMATION REPORT, NOT ~IN ALLY· fVA LUATEC, lt-;lTHLICENCf CON f 1 D f .N f I AL REPORT NO. FIi< K- :5 1 1 / 0 l 6 ~ ~ · •• DATE 0ISTR . . ?. [~ Dec emh~ r '~ •• COUN TRY •USSR D~ November 19;2 -~6vemher 1973 Sl•BJECT The Sa ry Shag an .weap ons Testing Range FIELD NO. ACO Ge rmany I former So,·iet cit i : en who se :- v,·.'.SOURCE I Tins r eport ) I Summ.. r}' : T his report · provides limited inforution on the Sary Sh agan weapons testi ng ·range , to• include facilities, work •reu, se curity 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 al phenomenon. End of Sumaan. · 5 " 3 3910084- / -5 -:> 2 l..,..C,QNFID itlTIAt

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CONFIDE L/WARCCE-SESITIVINTELLIGENCE SOURCESAND METHODSINVOLVEI FIRK-311/01638-77 10.Besides the System-7sSA-2lwarheads,Site 4 also checked the warheads for. a missi:e(s) known as the System-300 and/or Aldan.(Field Comment: ource did not ncw if Aldan was similar missiles.)The System-3(o/Aidan warneais after being checked at Site 4 were taken to ite 3s for launching.According to rumor,the missile was for antimissile defense (orotivo raketnaya oborona- PRo). (Fieid Comment:Source identified the System-s0o/Aldan missilein avaiiable reference material as the ABM-1/GALOSH.) li.The warhead for the System-300/Aldan missile was about two meters long and 8o to loo 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 （sharikij.Warheads for 30 x7 centimeters,each ofwhichheid about 200 to 300 metal ba1is， each no more than l.s centimeters in diameter.(Field Comment: Source had no knowledge regarding nuclear warheads. He opined that all systems couid be equipped vith nuclear warheads. However, Source stated all work done by.his department was basically experimental (opytnaya).) 13.According to hearsay,erperiments involving laser weapons were being conducted at an unknow 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 9： CONFIDENTTAL

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COAFIDENTIAL/WARNINGNOTICE·SENSITIVEINTELLIGENCE SOURCESANDMETHODSINVOLVED FIRK-311/01638-" unidentified phenomenon at Site 7. While watching a sport com- 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 est of the site atan angle'of sighting of approximately 70 degrees. The altitude of the object was undeterminable. (Field Comment: Although there were no clouds in the sky that evening， cloud level.Source could not estimate the diameter of the object.) Within l0 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 to what this phenomenon was. There was no resultant rumors. Source could not provide any further details.)

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