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.
“Mission Control”4 pages
Summary Table IV PROBABLE SOVIET DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR GROUND-LAUNCHED SURFACE-TO-SURFACE MISSILE SYSTEMS • Arbitrary Reference Designation Initial Opera- tional Capability Date b Maxi- ,mum Opera- tionel Range Guidance Operational Accuracy (CEP) 4 Maximum War- head • (lbs. and type) REMARKS SS-1 (SCUD) SS-2 SS-3 (SHYSTER) SS-4 ... SS-5 SS-6 1957 1954 1956 Late 1958 Early 1959. Late 1961 or 1st half 1962. 1 Jan. 1060 h Mid-1960 h 150 350 700 1,100 2,000 5,000 7,000 Probably Radio inertial but possibly all-bier- tin,. Radar track-radio corn- mand. Radio/inertial Radio/inertial . Radio/inertial Radio/inertial 3r urn 3/4" min 1 ii.rn 134 nut 134 ;Lin. or better. 1961-2 n.m. 1 . 1,500 HE. Nu- clear, CW. 2000, HE, Nu- clear, CI'. 3,000 Nuclear... 3.000 Nuclear... -1,000 Nuclear... 6,000-10,000.... 8.000 Nuclear... . Storable liquid fuel. Mobile in fueled condition. 13elic ved to be outgrowth of V-2, improved in range and accuracy. Road mobile. Road mobile. Road mobile. Probably fixed sites. Heav y nosccone version. Lighter nosecone version. Footnotes for Summary Table IV. OTHER: Considering general Soviet progress in the inissila field, we believe that for several years the USSR .hits had t:le capability of making close support missiles available to ground force units. Such missiles could include: (n) a single stage missile with a range of about 5,000 to 6,000 yards, capable of delivering a shaped HE charge against tanks or other hard targets; (b) missiles with improved simplified inertial guidance compont-nts capable of delivering a 500 pound payload to ranges on the order of 5 to 15 n.m. We estimate that the first of these missiles probably has been developed and is now operational. We believe that the Soviets' are developing and could have available for operational use by 1002-1063, a ground-launched ram-jet propelled vehicle with a speed of about Mach 3, a flight altitude of about 70,000 feet, and a range in excess of 4,000 n.m. In the time period 1961-1970 the Soviets will probably have under development follow-on ballistic missile systems. Desirable characteristics for such systems might include fast reaction times, storable liquid or solid propellants, Improved guidance systems and greater flexibility. We would expect the Soviets to follow established development patterns by depending on proven components, simplicity, and high reliability.
Not linked to a story yet.
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.