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International stay-behind radio set
The FS-5000 was a fully electronic digital radio set, capable of sending
secure messages. It was developed by
AEG Telefunken in Ulm (Germany)
and was part of a pan-European communication system used by various
stay-behind
organizations (Gladio). The name of the complete system was SY-5000.
The radio is also known as AZO-90 (Netherlands) or by its codename
Harpoon.
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In the period following WWII the organisation of stay-behind networks in Europe
was pretty much scattered.
Each country had its own Gladio-style operation, using
a variety of spy radio sets, ranging from simple analogue
radios to fully digital rigs with built-in text encryption.
In the early 1980s, the ACC (Allied Clandestine Committee),
attached to NATO headquarters SHAPE in Mons (Belgium), decided to develop a
pan-European communication system that was to be used by all stay-behind
organisations in Europe,
including non-NATO countries such as Switzerland.
As it was impossible for the (secret) stay-behind organisations to deal directly
with Telefunken, the German secret service
(BND) acted as a facade and order the units from
Telefunken, for a total
amount of 130 million German Marks (equivalent to 65 million Euros).
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The system was developed by AEG Telefunken
in 1985 [5] and gradually became operational in the following years.
In most countries it was rolled out in 1990 and 1991, just before most
European countries dismantled their stay-behind organisations.
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As each country had its own independant stay-behind
organization, the FS-5000 (Harpoon) was also known under different names.
In The Netherlands, for example, it was known as AZO-90,
which is short for Automatische ZendOntvanger 1990.
In the early days of the Cold War, it was believed that the governments of most
European countries would make their way to England when their countries were
invaded by the Russians. For this reason, some Harpoon FS-5000 sets were
installed there.
Later, when nuclear weapons became available to the USSR, the general consent
was that the European goverments would escape to the US, so arrangments were
made to have some FS-5000 radio sets in the US as well. These sets were delivered
to the American National Security Agency (NSA).
The FS-5000 was suitable for this, as it was specified for a range of 6000 km!
The FS-5000 is a beautiful set and was certainly state-of-the-art when it was
introduced.
It consists of a number of individual units that can be slotted together
to form a complete radio station.
Each unit was milled out of a solid aluminium block and was very well finished.
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High-quality connectors are used between the units and
some units could also be used stand-alone.
The complete FS-5000 radio station consists of the following units:
- Transmitter (with antenna tuner)
- Receiver (can also be used stand-alone)
- PSU / Battery charger
- Controller (DSU)
- 2 Rechargable batteries
- Toolkit
To protect the units agains water and other environmental impact,
all units are completely sealed and water-tight connectors are used.
The image on the right shows the assembled radio station that nicely
fits a black suitcase.
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In 2005, a very limited number of FS-5000 sets appeared on the surplus market,
but were soon withdrawn. Unfortunately, from all of these sets,
the controller unit (DSU) is missing.
The set was distributed in a large carton box, containing a number of
water tight sealed plastic containers.
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The image on the right shows the contents of the carton.
There were 4 large and 4 smaller containers, each holding one or more
modules. The modules themselves are each packed in plastic, in order to
protect them when stored for longer periods of time. A small container
with the DSU is missing.
Each container has a label with the serial number and a letter denoting
the module that is stored inside it. If more than one module is packed
inside a container, multiple labels are present. The meaning of the
letters is listed below.
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The FS-5000 (or SY-5000) consists of the following modules:
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- H - Connector block for stand-alone use of the receiver (H-bar)
- X - Junction box
- T - Transmitter
- A - Antenna Tuner
- M - Mains Power Supply Unit (PSU)
- C - Charger
- S - Slow discharger (2x)
- F - Fast discharger (dummy load)
- B - Battery (2x)
- R - Receiver
- D - Digital Storage Unit (DSU)
- Toolkit
- Brackets
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Unfortunately, the control unit is missing from all FS-5000 units that
are owned by collectors. In recent years, this DSU (Digital Storage Unit)
has frequently been the subject of speculations.
As we have never seen a real DSU, all we can do is make a few educated
guesses. The dimensions of the unit can be guessed quite accurately, as
it has to fit the bottom right of the complete radio set
(see the drawing above).
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The area that is available for the keyboard is too small to hold standard
keyboard switches. It is therefore likely that a customised rubber key pad
was used instead. Such rubber key pads are commonly used for military
Electronic Message Units (EMUs),
such as the Nokia PARSA.
In the mid-1980s red alphanumerical LED displays were commonly used for
crypto equipment, but it is also possible that a multi row LCD display
was used. LCD displays with 2 x 16 and 2 x 20 characters are quite common,
but given the available space, it is also possible that a 2 x 24 character
display was used.
The bottom line is: we don't know.
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We are currently trying to collect as much information about the DSU
as possible and it is our aim to create a suitable replacement (replica)
that can be used with the existing sets. For that, we do not need to
known what kind of encryption was used, but information about the layout
and its operation are most welcome.
If you have any additional information, please contact us.
The DSU is a multi-functional device which can also be used stand-alone.
It has a built-in battery that was used to preserve the contents of its
memory, and possibly also to encrypt or decrypt messages whilst being away
from the radio set. The DSU has the following features:
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- Entering TX and RX frequencies
- Modulator
- Prepairing messages
- Receiving messages
- Encyption and decryption of messages
- Scheduled transmission of messages
- Unmanned reception of messages
- Store & Forward messages
- Stand-alone use
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While the DSU (see above) of the FS-5000 is still missing, several collectors,
hobbyists and radio hams have tried to bring the radio to life.
One initiative that has succeeded at this is that of
Ray Robinson
in Australia. He has written a BASIC program that allows the RX and TX
frequencies to be set. He has also descibed a suitable interface board
that can be used to control the radio.
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The FS-5000 in the First Gulf War
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Around 2005, a story about the use of the FS-5000 in the First Gulf War circulated.
Apparently, the suitability of the FS-5000 for Special Forces was tested
by the US, as part of Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
According to the US, the sets were impractible and unsuitable for use by their
Special Forces. Shortly afterwards, a small number of these sets appeared on the
Army Surplus market in the US, but they were soon withdrawn.
Whether or not this story is true, remains to be seen. It is quite possible that
the US did test the radio set for use by their Special Forces, but it seems most
unlikely, as the US had sufficient supply of their own secure communications
equipment.
It is far more likely that the story was 'staged' to cover up the fact
that some units had (accidently) appeared on the surplus market and they were
hoping that, by issuing a 'negative' story, people would ignore this 'bad' equipment.
Nevertheless, about a dozen FS-5000 units have found their way to international
collectors and have since become hot collector's items.
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- Helmuth (Jimboy) Meyer (DJ2EI), Agentenfunk!
Backgrounds on many different spy radio sets.
- Louis Meulstee, Wireless for the Warrior, volume 4
ISBN 0952063-36-0, September 2004
- Ministerie van Algemene Zaken, Ministerie van Defensie & Rijksarchiefdienst/PIVOT
De Nederlandse stay behind-organisatie in de koude oorlog 1945-1992
The Netherlands. Official investigation, now (partly) publicly released under the FOI Act.
- Daniele Ganser, NATO's secret Armies: Operation Gladio and Terrorism in Western Europe
ISBN 978-071465607-6, 2005
- Telefunken Racoms, History
Timeline -> 1985, SY5000 adaptive HF system to NATO special services.
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© Copyright 2009-2011, Paul Reuvers & Marc Simons. Last changed: Mon,12 Dec 2011.10:17:53
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