Fall of the Iron Curtain

Exactly 20 years ago the Berlin Wall came down. Few young people realize how important November 9, 1989 actually was and how it effects their lives today. Before that date, the world was divided into East and West and this wasn't merely geographically. Virtually every country on the globe had taken side, willingly or not. The Cold War raged over the world for almost 45 years and it was often far from cold in many Asian, African, Middle eastern and South American countries.

The fall of the Berlin Wall wasn't the beginning of the end, but became a symbol of the dissolving of the Iron Curtain and the start of the reunification of the (East) German Democratic Republic and the (West) German Federal Republic. It was the result of a long struggle for independence in several countries of the Soviet Union. A struggle that was initiated bravely by the Polish trade union Solidarnosc, publicly and strongly supported by the Polish born Pope John Paul II.

The fall of the Wall without any violence or intervention by East German or Soviet forces encouraged other countries to initiate their own fight for independence. Soon after, the Soviet Union collapsed which changed the global picture completely. There's plenty information available on the Internet about the Wall, why and how it was build, how it was to live behind the Wall before 1989 and how it changed the world.

The Guardian's Berlin Wall: 20 Years On brings a five episode video series with the complete story on the Berlin Wall. The Woodrow Wilson Center presents many important documents on The Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall, a part of their Cold War International History Project. Escape from the GDR is a very good six-part 50 minutes documentary on Youtube about the history of the Wall. More video's are found on the English pages of the Chronik der Mauer website. Another great resource is Dismantling the Iron Curtain on the National Security Archive. If you want to discover how the Wall was constructed and its military aspects, I can highly recommend US Army Border Operations. More about the Cold War is found on this blog post. Lots of info to read and videos to watch, but certainly worth while!

DARPA

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency DARPA is
a most unique agency. In contrast to other agencies and commercial firms they are blessed with the freedom to fail.

Although this might sound odd, this approach, and of course the associated budget, are making the impossible possible. DARPA is a frontier in innovative technology with breakthroughs in many different fields of military and other technology.

Created in 1958, DARPA has been responsible for early research and development of experimental airplanes, stealth technology such as multifaceted surfaces, radar-absorbent materials, infrared shielding and heat dissipation. They were pioneer in missile technology, target acquisition systems, guiding radar and Laser systems. DARPA is involved in new material technologies for fighter aircraft and special radars for UAV's (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles). Satellites are another field of interest for DARPA.

Often, research and prototypes failed. These failing projects however were often the cradle for new technologies and materials, which were developed as a part of these projects. Sometimes, they developed things that would not be applicable untile many years after. They invented the future, so to speak.

But who can explain this better than DARPA. The 14 page paper Fifty Years of Inventing the Future is a good overview of DARPA's history from 1958 to 2008. In the Multimedia section of their Newsroom there's a great 25 minutes documentary on the history of DARPA in three parts: part 1, part 2 and part 3 (worthwhile downloading by right-clicking the links). More interesting information is found on DARP's history page and their video page. They also have a PodCast with downloadable mp3 interviews about DARPA projects

USAFSS Misawa History Page

The USAFSS Misawa website contains a well documented history page. The United States Air Force Security Service (USAFSS) was the Air Force intelligence from 1948 until 1979. After some name changes, the service is currently known as the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency (AF ISR). I've published a post, earlier this month, on the USAFSS Silent Wariors and the shootdown of one of their C-130's.

The Misawa history page contains three excellent pdf documents: USAF Intelligence History Timeline brings the complete story from the USAFSS in 1948 to the AF ISR Agency in 2008, USAFSS - An Enlisted Command about its unique enlisted force, and the NSA 50th Anniversary publication about the National Security Agency's history between 1952 and 2002. These extensive documents provide a detailed overview on Signals and Electronic Intelligence in the US Air force and NSA.

ELINT at NSA

Cryptome just published an NSA paper about the history of Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) at the National Security Agency. ELINT is all information that is obtained from electronic signals, other than speech or text. Within ELINT there are two main branches, Technical and Operational ELINT.

Technical ELINT or TechELINT is the interception and analysis of signals that origin from radars, weapons systems, navigation systems and such, in order to retrieve information on how these systems work, perform and how they are used. TechELINT is useful to determine what technology the opponent applies, the capabilities of his equipment and how to take countermeasures against his systems.

Operational ELINT or OpELINT is focused on the interception of all kinds of signals on specific locations, in order to find out the opponent's location and structure. OpELINT determines the operational structure (order of battle) of the opponent forces, the so-called Electronic Order of Battle (EOB). This, of course, is important to assess his strength and provides vital tactical information on the battlefield.

The paper describes the origins of modern ELINT in the Second World War, and later on the establishing of the Army-Navy Electronics Evaluation Group (ANEEG) within the Department of Defense. NSA eventually took over the ELINT operations in close cooperation with other agencies such as the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) with its satellites and the Navy aircraft platforms. The paper gives a good overview on the history of NSA's ELINT mission and its systems. You can find it at the Cryptome website or download it directly at this link (zip).

CI Centre Podcasts

There are some interesting podcast interviews, related to espionage, on the website of the Centre for Counterintelligence and Security Studies (CI Centre). The first one is a talk with CI Centre President David Major about the unmasking of MI6 officer George Blake, the KGB mole and who revealed the Berlin tunnel SIGINT operation to the Soviets. Michael Goleniewski, a Russian Spy in Poland, passed information to the CIA which lead to the surveillance of KGB spy handler Konon Molody, aka Gordon Lonsdale. This resulted in the arrest of the Portland spy ring. Goleniewski also revealed that a mole was operating in the MI6, British foreign Intelligence. Further investigation by MI5 lead to George Blake (photo), who knew about the Berlin tunnel from the earliest beginning of the planning. The David Major talk is available as part 1 and part 2.

The second podcast is an interview with former KGB Major General Oleg Kalugin about Kim Philby, one of the most notorious spies ever. Philby (photo), headed the Soviet counter-espionage section of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service and, at the same time, was a successful Soviet agent, causing devastating damage to Western Intelligence. After the defection of KGB agent Golitsyn his treason was exposed and Philby fled to the Soviet Union. After being received as an hero, he settled in Moscow and received a pension. Without any goals or challenges in his life, Philby started drinking heavily. Oleg Kalugin was put on his case and reintroduced him in the KGB, asked his help on some cases, and let him give lectures, which gave a Philby new goals in his life. The Kalugin interview is available at this podcast link.

These podcasts are available on the CI Centre Podcast page, where you can find many other fascinating talks and interview. More info on my weblog about the Berlin tunnel and KGB Geneneral Kalugin, and further readings on Philby on my Book Review.

Silent Warriors

September 2, 1958. A four-engined C-130 transport aircraft from the US 7406th Support Squadron with tail number 60528 is flying along the Turkish-Soviet border. Six crew members and eleven US Airforce Security Service (USAFSS) personnel are on board. The aircraft is flying in Turkish airspace, from Incirlik to Trabzon, and its mission is to gather intelligence by orbiting near the Soviet border. They are instructed to stay 100 miles from Soviet airspace. The crew reports passing over Trabson at an altitude of 25,500 feet and acknowledges a weather report.

Soviet air defense radars are tracking the C-130. At 1440 hours, four MiG-17 interceptors from the 25th Fighter Regiment's Yerevan base are scrambled and are heading toward the C-130. Suddenly, the C-130 mysteriously deviates from his route, turns east and crosses the border into Soviet Armenia. According to the Soviets, they entered their airspace at 1507 hours. The first two Soviet interceptors arrive at 1508 hours and Senior Lieutenant Lopatkov fires several warning shots at 1509. The pilots of the C-130 start to maneuver and climb to an higher altitude. Meanwhile, the other two MiG arrive and the pilots request permission to engage the C-130. At 1511 hours, their Command gives permission to attack the C-130. All four MiGs attack the airplane in turn, using their cannon and rockets.


A C-130 at NSA, refurbished to resemble C-130A-II #60528

The camera of the third MiG captures the C-130 with its left outboard engine on fire and the fourth MiG pilot reports the C-130 breaking up before his attack. Seven minutes after the first attack, the C-130 crashes and explodes on impact, killing all seventeen crew members. It takes four days for the United States to confront the Soviets with the disappearing of their spy flight. On September 12, Soviet authorities acknowledged that they found an aircraft that 'apparently crashed' on their territory. Five months later, the US goes public on a United Nations meeting and present tape recordings of intercepted conversations between the Soviet fighter pilots during the attack on the C-130. The Soviets continue to deny any involvement in the shootdown. The remains of the six crew members were returned. There was no word on the eleven USAFSS members that were aboard the C-130.

This wasn't the first nor the last. During the Cold War period, more than 40 reconnaissance aircraft were shot down. Flying these spy missions was a risky business and the reconnaissance programs were kept secret. The public never knew about these losses and their families and fellow soldiers were left to mourn alone. The end of the Cold War allowed the US to release some information and pay tribute to these Cold War warriors. In 1991, Russian President Yeltsin began releasing information on the shoot down. In 1993, a US Army graves excavation team recovered an ID tag that belonged to a USAFSS technician aboard 60528.

On the National Security Agency (NSA) website, there's a special page on the C-130 Shootdown, with the story on aircraft 60528 and declassified documents with additional information. You can also listen to the actual recordings and read the transcripts of the intercepted radio traffic between the MiG pilots as they engage the C-130. A good moment to stand still for a moment and remember the soldiers, fallen in the silent war. It's all found on this page. The Aerial Reconnaissance memorial at the National Vigilance Park, near the NSA building, honors these silent warriors.

There are several websites, dedicated to lost USAFSS crews. 6994th Security Squadron and Silent Warriors are two of them. A brief history of the USAFSS is found on this page. The EC-47 History Site is dedicated to the Douglas EC-47 electronic warfare platforms, sometimes referred to as "Electric Gooneys" (scroll down on the main page to find the main directory!).

US Strategic Intelligence on the USSR

The National Security Archive recently published new documents on the The Nuclear Vault, its Nuclear Documentation Project. Many previously classified interviews with former Soviet officials reveal that US Strategic Intelligence exaggerated the aggressiveness of the Soviets during the Cold War. The interviews give a unique insight on the Soviet strategic weapons policy and decision-making during the Cold War.

Apparently, the Soviets, who always assumed a first strike by the US, tried to keep a nuclear superiority in terms of numbers only for defensive reasons. Although the Soviet military preferred a proportional response to an attack, they didn't believe that a nuclear war could be limited. The interviews confirm that the USSR never had the intend to launch a first strike, but did consider a preemptive attack in case of a real threat. With a US first strike scenario in mind, they believed their nuclear overweight would deter the US of executing a first strike. The Soviet military was convinced that a conventional superior Warsaw Pact could stop a NATO offensive without using nuclear weapons, but feared a response with tactical nuclear weapons that would escalate to the use of strategic weapons.

They knew a nuclear assault on NATO forces in Europe would cause an ecological disaster that would also affect Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. This lead to a situation where the USSR was trying to avoid war at all costs, but if attacked, would use any weapons they had, leading to an all-out nuclear war. This means that a US policy of keeping up with the USSR might have been an unnecessary and dangerous path towards an involuntary and catastrophic response by the Soviets. The failing US assessment of the Soviet threat could have caused a situation of "you get what you asked for". Fortunately, it never came that far (I wouldn't be here any more to write this).

The many interviews with all those former Soviet officers, analysts and important decision makers, and their views on nuclear deterrence issues are a most fascinating read. All chapters of document 2 are a must. Especially chapter IV about strategic decision making and Brezhnev's incompetence are astonishing. Don't miss the General Danilevich interview! All documents are available for download at this Nuclear Vault page.

If you want to have an idea of what all those missiles look like, check out the Russian and Soviet Nuclear Forces Guide on FAS, with detailed tech specs and photos of all types of missiles.

TSEC/KL-7 Simulator

I just finished and uploaded my newest cipher machine simulation. It's an accurate simulation of the KL-7 Cipher Machine, codenamed ADONIS or POLLUX. The KL-7 was an off-line rotor cipher machine, developed in the late 1940's by the American Armed Forces Security Agency (AFSA) and introduced by the newly formed National Security Agency (NSA) in 1952. The KL-7 is one of those Cold War beauties with a remarkable history.



The new freeware KL-7 simulator provides an authentic look and feel with its hands-on approach. With all known surviving KL-7’s sanitized, stripped from all rotor and stepping unit wiring, this simulator is the only remaining way to actually work with this beautiful machine. After my Enigma, M-209 and Hagelin BC-52 sims, this new sim again gives you the chance to actually work with a famous crypto machine, and use all nuts and bolts just as an operator did on the real machine. There's even an option to rewire all rotors yourself to individualize the machine.

Most of the men who actually worked with this machine are at least well in their sixties or seventies, and the sim is an attempt to keep the history about that magnificent machine alive. The simulator comes with a 15 page manual, including the technical details and the history of the KL-7.

You can download the KL-7 sim on my website and all your comments and feedback are most welcome. Enjoy it!

Crypto Museum

Paul Reuvers and Marc Simons finally found the time to merge all their wonderful information and photos of cipher machines into a beautiful website. The Crypto Museum website is a refreshingly new site with lots of information on many cipher machines such as the well known German Enigma, various Hagelins, the Swiss Nema, the American M-209, KL-7 and SIGABA, but also less known machines. The Swedish Transvertex, the Gretacoder, several crypto devices from Philips, Siemens and many many more.

Don't forget to click the 'More Information' link on each item, which brings you to more detailed information and images. By clicking the numerous thumbnails that accompany each machine you can view hundreds of superb and very detailed photos they took of these marvels. But there's more!

They also collected information and took photos of spy radio sets, burst encoders and several direction finders. Some of these are true Cold War jewels. The site is still under construction, although the collection is quite impressive already. A Kits section, News section and a Shop are in the pipe-line. Paul and Marc are by the way the developers of the Enigma E, the electronic kit that works exactly like the real thing.

Good information on old crypto machines is rare, and good websites on these machines are hardly available (Jerry Proc is one of the few). The Crypto Museum website is therefore a unique initiative with an unmatched collection of high quality images. A true delight of the senses, molded into a well designed and synoptic website. I can only urge you to visit the Crypto Museum website. A must! The list of cipher machines is found on this page, but as I mentioned before, there's much more to discover. Now, go... go!

Enigma Challenge News

On August, 17, Martin Eklöf from Sweden was the 20th person to break all 10 messages of the Enigma Cipher Challenge. He did it in an incredible four days and used software he wrote himself (in C language) especially to crack the Enigma messages. Congratulations to Martin!

Meanwhile, the competition is running for more than three years now and no less than 126 brave codebreakers joined this challenge. New competitors keep entering the challenge. If you want to give it a try, don't hesitate. You don't require any professional crypto skills or be a math geek. Some logical thinking and a bit of persistence will do the job and gets you in the Table of Honor.