REPORT OF DOMESTIC COMINT RELATED ACTIVITIES

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 01434903
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: August 7, 2017
• Case Number: F-2007-00094
• Publication Date: January 20, 1975

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MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
FROM :
SUBJECT:
ODE
SC-08408-75
CopyiLoI2
20 January 1975
Report of Domestic COMINT Related Activities
1. This memorandum is prepared in response to a
request to provide a listing of Domestic COMINT
Related Activities conducted by the Collection Branch
of OD&E/ Eor compilation into a DCI report to
the Presidential Commission on CIA Activities within
the United States.
2. The method used to prepare this memorandum
was to examine ledgers of R&D projects to determine
what equipments existed which would be capable of
detecting and/or demodulating domestic communications
systems. Eighteen pieces of equipment were identified
that fell into this category. Staff notes, engineering
reports, and travel records were examined to find
references to actual tests of this type being
conducted. Although there was not sufficient time to
assemble all of the material and review it in detail,
it is the belief of the writer that all of the
pertinent tests have been cited and that any
additional information that would be gleaned by a
more timely search would not produce anything more
of consequence.
3. The staff engineers engaged in the development
of COMINT collection equipment have infrequently been
a party to or have conducted on their own volition
tests which involved domestic communications systems
as a primary source for test signals. However, it can
be categorically stated that there exists no evidence
of intent or practice of personnel to collect for
files or dissemination, material that was intercepted
eaL
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during such tests.
4. It was specifically requested that names, dates
and places be included in the lists. That is, for all
practical purposes, impossible to ascertain with any
reasonable degree of accuracy because the test data
is widely dispersed in project and engineering files
in which the source of the test signal is not always
recorded. In many engineering tests the chronology
of the test data is not relevant, because only the
signal parameters or the behavior of the equipment was
being monitored, such as distortion, sideband suppression,
dynamic range, comparative signal sensitivity, etc,
5. The following is a list of tests that have been
conducted and are on record in various files:
a.
the
(Equipment
unclassified, but its use is SECRET)
During the development and checkout of
were intercepted, to
assess the capability and perform evaluation
tests of the equipment. These experimental
tests included the detection of the
Immediately following the tests in which
OED personnel were associated, the
recordings were either degaussed or destroyed
by slicing through the tape recording and
depositing it in the nearest burn bag. In
no case has there been any transcripts made
of the recordings.
Tests on the have been conducted
during the period of 1972 to the present. At
the time, OED does not have any operating
equipment in its possession, although there
is a further development effort being
performed.
The
curb as the
also goes by several other names
Personnel assigned t
part in such tests are
that have taken
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(Equipment unclassified; its use is SECRET)
There were only two records found in which
tests were conducted against domestic
They were conducted in
part by in coordination with
persqnnel from ORD and contractor personnel
from The tests were
conducted inL on September 18
Ion _
and 19, 1973 and in
September 20, 1973. The links were detected
but the signals were not demodulated by the
equipment. The files where this information was
located does not contain the names of the owners
of the links. ORD obtained the permission to use
the links as test signals from the owners and
operators.
C.
References to tests conducted on this type
of equipment makes mention only of live tests,
but do not give dates or the source of the
signals. This data was located in staff notes.
More exact dates could probably be found in
engineering notebooks but it would be very time-
consuming research, and most likely they do not
contain anything other than the frequency of
the transmission. In some of the cases only
the will be referenced.
In these types of tests no record is made or any
attempt is made to determine
so it cannot be determined who was calling who..
Persons who have
of tests are Messrs.
d.
T1A
ticinated in these types
rrga
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OED has been developing a line of
All equipment developed to date does
not have al associated
directly with the
cases the
have a
although in some
capability
do
Three tests are on record that were
conducted during the period of ,Tulv-September
1974 near the Washington area- ]
tests were conducted against
There were also tests conducted in the
e.
There has been a number of items developed
for use on ... but no references
could be found that indicated that this
equipment was used at any time during the past
five years on tests conducted against domestic
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�
-erttri
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During the period 14 May 1971 - 15 November 1971,
measurement tests were conducted
at
,
,acCeptab.
-
recordings were ma
characteristics of
4114 use.
Tie purpose of these ,ODX3y,
cication or the
on the
frequencies of interest. �No demodulation was perforMed on
these data because neither voice nor textual information
was of...concern to the program.
1ATIONAL V.!?07.MATI
'VEsnlcEs 1
Unauthor!:. t wAPmma NOTICE
HANDLE. VIA BYEIVIAIV
CONTROL SYSTEM ONLY:
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ri6/0 A
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In July 1973 a site survey of the
facility
was conducted by helicopter. The purpose of the survey was
similar surveys were
35mm photographs were taken of each tower and approach.
]Ai 3;I. cuiI MOR-pin
to
Cfnicla;
WANi NOTICE
3PURCES
�
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A4NbLtvtKBYEMAN
CONTROL SYSTEN(b)(3)Y
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