General Alfred M Gray, USMC
Born June 22, 1928 – March 20, 2024
Introduction
The way the United States perfected and used space technology to solve intelligence problems is an important story; this remarkable technology helped ensure that the Cold War never turned “hot.” In parallel with the crucially important development of ballistic missiles for our defense, there was the equally urgent program to develop reconnaissance satellites to provide advance warning of enemy military activity. Information about-military, industrial, and political activities in the Soviet Union was the key to providing the United States with a survivable nuclear retaliatory force. This story involves the challenge of collecting electronic signals being radiated from the Soviet Union using satellites in Earth orbit, some as high as geosynchronous altitude; sending those signals back to Earth; sorting and analyzing those signals with computers and with people; and providing to our national leaders the information needed to give our country a valuable advantage in confronting the threat of Soviet Communism during the most perilous times of the Cold War. The story now to be told is about the US SIGINT satellites.
NRO APPROVED FOR RELEASE 10 FEBRUARY 2016
Source: National Reconnaissance Office, The SIGINT Satellite Story
Beginning tomorrow, Station HYPO will launch a five-part series titled “The SIGINT Satellite Story.” This fascinating series is based on a historical document produced by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and officially declassified on February 10, 2016.
Continue reading “The SIGINT Satellite Story Series”
Not only was Harrison Smith Glancy was an American competition swimmer who represented the United States at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France and the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, Netherlands, but he was also the Great Uncle of Master Chief Terry Glancy! In 1924, Harrison won a gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. team in the men’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay, together with teammates Ralph Breyer, Wally O’Connor and Johnny Weissmuller. Harrison Glancy and his American teammates set new world records in both the semifinals (9:59.4) and final (9:53.4). On September 22, 2002 Harris Glancy died.
Continue reading “U.S. Gold Medalist Has Connection to the CT World”
Morris “Moe” Berg (March 2, 1902 – May 29, 1972) was an American professional baseball player, scholar, and spy. Although he played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher for teams including the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, and Boston Red Sox, Berg was better known for his intellect and later, his work with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II. Fluent in multiple languages and educated at Princeton and Columbia, Berg became a unique figure in American history: a man who excelled in sports, academics, and espionage.
The time a Soviet TU-16 (BADGER) bomber crashed into the sea after buzzing a U.S. aircraft carrier. See the actual video of the crash of the aircraft at the end of this post.
Featured picture shows the helmet of Pliyeev, the pilot of a Soviet TU-16 (BADGER F) that crashed his aircraft into the North Sea on May 25, 1968.
Continue reading “The time a Soviet TU-16 (BADGER) bomber crashed into the sea after buzzing a U.S. aircraft carrier.”
Station HYPO 