Documents / FOIA release
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.
“Low Earth orbit”3 pages
C00278407 47 BI LI TI ES (Coniinued) TOP SE-C—R-E-T-. ESTI MATED RELI A US Designation INITIAL OPERATIONAL CA PA B I LITY Iteady Missile Bate • netinnttrry REMARKS Launcher Ii Surfave to-Air: .1 SA-1 1956 September... 011 90 'Jo lOseuw defense system. 1957 90 Mobile SAM system. S A- 3 1961 90 110 Low altitude system. SA-4 NV) SO 75 Antimissile %%Ali mil,- silitent improve- ment .1 A A-I 1056 no as 80 "ShNI" beam rider. A A-2 1956 no 80 1-4 n.m. infrared homing. AA-3 1958 is 90 85 3-6 min. radar homing. • That percentage of missiles on launcher which are "ready missiles." A ready missile is an in-commission missile with %,: airheart mated, mounted on an in-commission lanneher in a traiiied twit which is considered ready to be committed to launch., 1. The percentage of ready missiles %vhieli will stico .ss(ully complete the countdown and leave. 1ht: launcher width' the required time limits. The percentage of missiles launched, the warheads of which actually detonate US P131111ed ill the target area (i.e., within three CEPs of the aiming point). d I n these categories, only those missiles considered good enough to try to launch will lx' loaded on ships and aircraft. • The assumptions made for air-to-surface and air-to-air missiles do not include losses due to aircraft aborts which are caused by factors not related to missiles. Reliability figures are not available for the SS-N-3, a 300 n.m. cruise-type missile. • For the views of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Department of the Army, and the Assistant Chief of Naval Operations (Intelligence), Department of the Navy, stv their footnotes, page 30.
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FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 101 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.