Sary Shagan ABM Test Range

An overview of the Sary Shagan Test Range.
Test Range Area (1), Central Area (2), Targyz EWR Complex (3)

With the decision of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, dated on the 17.08.1956, the work on an antimissile defense was authorized and it was decided that an experimental ABM system and an ABM test range to be built.

Soon, it was decided that the location of the future test range was to be in the unpopulated, arid and stony Betpak-Dala desert, west of the Balqash Lake, in Kazahstan. Its main facilities were to be located near the small railway center, the town of Sary Shagan.

On the 04.03.1961 the V-1000 experimental ABM was successfully tested against a mockup ICBM which was consisted of a R-12 (SS-4 Sandal) ballistic missile with a 500 kg. steel plate instead of its normal nuclear warhead. It was detected at 1.500 km. by the EWR radars installed on the test range.

Sary Shagan ABM Test Range - Test Area

A map of the test area of the Sary Shagan ABM test range with its facilities.

The ABM missile tests are conducted at the test area of the Sary Shagan ABM test range. It has 3 missile tracking radars, ten instrumentation sites, a command site and two launch complexes.

The numbers on the map stand for the following installations:

1. Launch Complex A
2. Launch Complex B
3. "Hen Nest" missile tracking radar
4. Instrumentation Site 3
5. Ak Tasty airfield
6. May-Tuken East airfield
7. Instrumentation Site 4
8. Command Site 3
9. May-Tuken airfield
10. Instrumentation Site 5
11. Kyz Kagan airfield
12. Instrumentation Site 6
13. "Hen Egg" missile tracking radar
14. Instrumentation Site 7
15. Instrumentation Site 8
16. Chavdar Dzhuvghan airfield
17. Instrumentation Site 9
18. Dzhaman Kuduk Northwest airfield
19. Instrumentation Site 10
20. "Hen Nest" missile tracking radar
21. Instrumentation Site 11
22. Instrumentation Site 12
23. Dzhaman Kuduk Southeast airfield

Sary Shagan ABM Test Range - Central Area

A map of the central area of the Sary Shagan ABM test range with its facilities.

The main command, housing and tracking facilities of the Sary Shagan test range are located in its central area, which is situated south of Sary Shagan. Two launch complexes are also located there.

The numbers on the map stand for the following facilities:

1. Launch Complex C
2. Launch Complex D
3. Space tracking facility
4. "Hen Roost" radar (south)
5. "Hen Roost" radar (north)
6. "Hen House" radar (Research & Development)
7. Tracking facility No.1
8. Headquarters and main housing area
9. Sary Shagan airfield
10. Sary Shagan Southwest airfield

Sary Shagan ABM Test Range - Targyz EWR Complex

A map of the Targyz EWR complex of the Sary Shagan ABM test range with its facilities.

The Targyz EWR complex is situated near Targyz, along the Balqash Lake. It is consisted of five Dnestr type (NATO designation "Hen House") EWRs.

DIA designations of missiles tested at the Sary Shagan ABM Test Range

When the US Defense Intelligence Agency identified a new missile by various means of detection (like a satellite photography), a temporary code was assigned to it, based on the location of the observation, and a sequence number. The missiles observed at the Sary Shagan ABM test range received the code SH, along with their sequence number. There were at least 11 different missile types tested there. Here is a list of the missiles which received SH codes:

Written by Vladimir Trendafilovski.
Updated Tuesday, 18 August 1998.