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This section contains information on nuclear and military test sites, other than the Semipalatinsk
Test Site, located on Kazakhstani territory. For chronological
developments related to these test sites, please see the Kazakhstan:
Other Test Site Developments section of the NIS Profiles database. For information on
Semipalatinsk, please click here. Please also
see the Kazakhstan Facilities Map.
According to the Kazakhstani Atomic Energy Agency, a 0.3 kT surface nuclear
explosion was conducted on 2 February 1956 in the Aralsk region of
Kzyl-Orda Oblast.[1] Other
sources indicate that a missile test took place at Aralsk on the same
date.[2,3] Yet another source confirms the surface nuclear explosion
on 2 February 1956 and reports an underwater nuclear explosion at Aralsk one year earlier, in February
1955.[4] Jane's Intelligence
Review has also identified Aralsk as a biological and chemical weapons
test site.[5]
The Azgyr nuclear test site (also known as the Galit facility) is situated in
Dengiz Rayon, Atyrau Oblast, bordering Urda Rayon, Western Kazakhstan Oblast.[1]
From 1966 to 1976, 24
underground nuclear explosions were conducted here. Some of the explosions
were conducted to test nuclear weapons; others were conducted to create
underground reservoirs in salt domes of the Caspian Depression for the
storage of liquid and gaseousfuel supplies.[2,3] In late 1994, the Southern Seismological Station, which managed
nuclear explosions, ceased its activity and Russian guards left the site
in March 1996.[4] The Azgyr test site houses a laboratory for the
synthesis of superstrong materials, which includes the Yava-1M installation
for producing artificial diamonds.[3]
The Emba test site is a tactical anti-aircraft defense and anti-missile
defense systems test site located 200km from Aktyubinsk, Mugodzharskiy Rayon, Aktyubinsk
Oblast. The site was created in 1960, covering an area of 7,000km.
In 1995, Kazakhstan and Russia signed an intergovernmental agreement whereby
Russia could lease the site for a period of 10 years. In addition
to Russian troops, Kazakhstani surface-to-air missile troops reportedly
conduct launches at Emba.[1,2,3] In November
1999 the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces completed the relocation of personnel,
military property, and technical equipment from Emba to Kapustin Yar, Astrakhan
Oblast, Russia, and ended their lease of the test site.[4]
Twenty-three percent (15,000 of the
total 65,000 square kilometers) of Russia's Kapustin
Yar test site is located in Kazakhstan (Urda and Zhangali Rayons, Western Kazakhstan
Oblast).
The Kazakhstani portion of the test site was used to test the delivery of
nuclear weapons by aircraft and missiles. From 1957 to 1962, ten nuclear
charges were exploded at Kapustin Yar, Western Kazakhstan.[1]
As of January 2001, Russia was leasing the site from Kazakhstan in exchange
for annual in-kind payments of military equipment and training, worth $25.5
million.[2]
Leninsk test site, also known as the Baikonur
Cosmodrome, extends for 85km
from north to south, and 125km from east to west in the Kzyl-Orda
Oblast.[1] It got its name after the town of Leninsk, which was renamed Baikonur by former Russian President Boris Yeltsin in the mid-1990s. Baikonur Cosmodrome
is the world's largest and oldest working space facility.[2] Apart from dozens
of launch pads, it includes five tracking control centers, nine tracking
stations, and a 1,500km rocket test range.[1] Russia has
rented the facility from Kazakhstan since 1993.[2]
Lira test site is located 140km east of the town of Uralsk in Burlinskiy Rayon, Western Kazakhstan
Oblast. From 1983-1984, six underground peaceful
nuclear explosions were conducted at Lira, creating underground
storage cavities in salt domes with a volume of about 60,000 cubic meters.[1,2,3,4]
These cavities were created to store gas condensate extracted from
the Karachaganak gas field in Western Kazakhstan Oblast.
The Aksay branch of the Institute of Nuclear Physics has
monitored the radiation level in
the Lira cavities since 1998 and has declared that the gas condensate within
is safe.[5]
The Sary-Shagan test site, situated near Lake
Balkhash, conducts work on strategic anti-aircraft
defense, anti-ballistic missile defense, and anti-satellite systems. Established
in 1956, Sary-Shagan was a natural choice
for a test site for anti-ballistic missile (ABM) systems. It is located
about 1,600 km from Russia’s Kapustin Yar ballistic missile test site and
therefore provides coverage of the impact area for missiles launched from
there.[1,2,3] It is the only site where Russian
tests of ABM systems are allowed under the 1972
ABM
Treaty.[4] Sary-Shagan has near ideal conditions
for testing. The weather is sunny most of the year. The
site has a length of 480km, which allows long-range testing. Sary-Shagan is
equipped with Kazakhstani-designed MR-9 and Baloban target missiles.[5] In addition to testing grounds, Sary-Shagan
included facilities at the nearby town of Priozersk. Some facilities at
Sary-Shagan have
been leased to Russia, while other facilities have been transferred to
the Kazakhstani National Center for Radioelectronics and Communications.[6] Kazakhstan is planning to increase cooperation with Russia
and other former Soviet republics on leasing Sary-Shagan facilities. According
to the Head of Kazakhstani General Staff Alibek Kasymov, the money obtained from leasing
Sary-Shagan will be spent primarily for upgrading the test site itself. The
second priority is financing the town of Priozersk.[5] A series of missile tests were conducted at the Sary-Shagan
and Kapustin Yar test sites in 1961-1962. During these tests, missiles
were launched from Kapustin Yar into the impact area in conjunction with
ballistic missile defense systems at Sary-Shagan.[2,3]
Jane’s Strategic Weapons Systems indicated that in 1961, a SH-01 ‘Galosh’
interceptor system at Sary-Shagan hit an incoming
SS-4 ‘Sandel’ warhead traveling in excess of 3 km/s.[1] Sary-Shagan was also a
major Soviet test facility for directed energy weapons (DEW), particularly laser
weapons.[7]
Say-Utes test site is located 100-115km south-southeast of the village of
Say-Utes in Mangystau Oblast.[1] Three peaceful nuclear explosions were
conducted at Say-Utes in 1969-1970.[2,3,4]
The 929th State Test Flight Center, also known as
Taysoygan or Vladimirovka, is comprised of three sections in Atyrau, Mangystau,
and Western Kazakhstan Oblasts. The territory is used to test aviation
technology and various types of weapons for all branches of the military.
Kazakhstan leases Taysoygan's facilities and combat training grounds to Russia.
Nuclear explosions were conducted
for seismic sounding of the earth’s crust under three programs: Batolit,
Meridian, and Region.[1,2,3] In 1972, three nuclear charges were
exploded in Western Kazakhstan and Kostanay Oblasts under the Region
program. In 1973, three nuclear charges were exploded in Kzyl-Orda,
Zhezkazgan, Karaganda, and Kostanay Oblasts under the Meridian
program. In 1987, one nuclear charge was exploded in Aktyubinsk Oblast
under the Batolit program.[4]
Page last updated 7 November 2002
For more recent developments,
see the Other Test Site Developments file.
Comments or questions? Contact Kenley Butler at MIIS CNS: Kenley.Butler@miis.edu
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