Documents / FOIA release

/specialCollection/MissileGap/1961/1961-04-25.pdf

Central Intelligence Agency · 101 pages · text from the file's own layer

This is National Intelligence Estimate 11-5-61, Soviet Technical Capabilities in Guided Missiles and Space Vehicles. It was submitted by the Director of Central Intelligence and concurred in by the United States Intelligence Board on 25 April 1961. The estimate assesses Soviet surface-to-air, antimissile, air-to-air, air-to-surface, ballistic, ICBM, naval and space programs. It concludes that the first Soviet ICBM unit was probably operational around 1 January 1960. It also says there is no evidence the Soviets are developing offensive space weapons. It contains no UFO material.

  • p. 5 …Typical SA-2 Missile System Site (Stalingrad, USSR) 12 8. Typical SA-2 Missile System Equipment…
  • p. 73 Table 2 SOVIET EARTH SATELLITES • SPUTNIK I (195 ALPHA-2) SPUTNIK II (1957 BETA) SPUTNIK III…
  • p. 74 Table 2 (Continued) SPUTNIK VII (1981 BETA) SPUTNIK VIII (1001 GAMMA) Venus Probe Success SPUTNIK IX…
  • p. 75 SPUTNIK I (1967 ALPHA-2) SPUTNIK (1957 BETA) SPUTNIK HI (1958 DELTA-2) Contents Internal tempera…
  • p. 76 Table 2 (Conlintted) SPUTNIK VII (1061 BETA) SPUTNIK VIII (1961 GAMMA) Venus Probe Success SPUTNIK IX…
  • p. 79 …In February 1961, the Soviets at- tempted with Sputnik VII to launch a probe toward Venus…
16
tern, the USSR could achieve a limited capa-
bility to destroy such vehicles after they have
made a number of orbits. This could prob-
ably be accomplished from the Sary Shagan
area in about 1963, against satellites with rela-
tively low orbits. With an extensive effort,
it might be accomplished sooner with a nu-
clear-armed 700 or 1,100 n.m. missile launched
on collision course from a test range if the
orbital parameters were established. The pub-
lished information on US programs probably
will provide incentive for Soviet development
of antisatellite capabilities. However, we do
not believe that the USSR will have a system
for destruction of satellites on their first orbit
until the latter part of the decade.

Not linked to a story yet.

About this file

FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 101 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.