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NRP
Dutch Radar Laboratory
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Nederlands Radar Proefstation
Nederlands Radar Proefstation (NRP)
was the Dutch Radar Laboratory, founded shortly after
WWII
– on 7 July 1947 – by Mr. J.M.F.A. (Joop) van Dijk,
to bring The Netherlands
up to speed with the wartime developments in the field of RADAR.
Over the years, NRP developed a range of radio and radar equipment,
plus a variety of covert listening devices
for the US
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
NRP is also the founder of the Christiaan Huygens Lab (CHL),
which still exists today (2019).
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NRP equipment on this website
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During WWII, standing in his garden on the morning of 23 July 1943,
Joop van Dijk had watched hundreds of small pieces of silver paper
falling from the sky. He immediately realised that it had to be a
countermeasure against a high frequency navigation system that
was hitherto unknown.
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Van Dijk, who had established the Dutch Radio Union
(Algemene Nederlandse Radio Unie) back in 1934,
went to England immediately after the war, to meet Sir Robert
Watson Watt, wartime nagivation pioneer and early RADAR developer.
When he came back, he successfully argued the necessity for
The Netherlands to get involved in radar technology.
He got permission to set up a laboratory for coastal radar
in the town of Noordwijk, right at the Dutch sea side.
On 7 July 1947 the station, meanwhile housed in the remarkable Villa Wave Guide,
was officially opened by Mr. D. Spitzen, the secretary-general of the
Ministry of Transport, on behalf of the Minister (Vos) [3], by turning on
a coastal radar system that greatly enhanced safety on the North Sea.
Radar developer, Sir Robert Watson Watt,
was amongst the distinguised guests that day.
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In the years that followed, the NRP was involved in development and consultancy
in the field of radar, navigation, sensors, communication equipment and
communication systems in general.
The NRP developed Artemis,
a high-precision microwave locating and
positioning system that played an important role in the Dutch Delta Works,
for precision-positioning of the caissons.
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In the 1960s, the NRP established a separate research facility,
known as Christiaan Huygens Laboratorium,
which focussed on the research, development and production
of radar antenna systems and microwave sensors [1].
In 1960, new building for the lab was erected next door.
Earlier, in 1954, the NRP was put in contact with the American
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA),
through the liaison of the
Dutch Security Service (BVD).
It resulted in a research contract for the development of
covert listening devices (bugs)
under the mysterious codename
EASY CHAIR.
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Over the years, a variety of bugs, receivers, antennas
and measuring equipment was developed for the CIA. In addition,
the NRP developed several innovative
audio masking techniques
for the CIA.
In 1972, the Christiaan Huygens Lab (meanwhile renamed CHL)
was acquired by Boskalis,
at the time one of the largest dredging companies in
The Netherlands. Shortly afterwards, on 22 March 1973,
NRP owner Joop van Dijk,
who had meanwhile moved to Switzerland, passed away.
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For the CIA this was a reason to reconsider its relationship with the
NRP. With CHL in the hands of a big conglomerate and the uncertain
future of the NRP, the confidential nature of the
work for the CIA could not be guaranteed sufficiently.
The problem was solved in 1975 by the current NRP directors
Gerhard Prins and At Admiraal,
by buying the company shares from the
estate of van Dijk. Prins and Admiraal had both joined the NRP back
in 1950 and were heavily involved in the development of the
Easy Chair equipment
[6].
And more importantly: the CIA trusted them.
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The relationship with the CIA was secured, which was important as
at the height of the work on
Easy Chair
it had contributed to
more than 50% of the company's turnover. In the following 10 years
the NRP would develop several new generations of listening devices
(bugs) for the CIA.
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In 1984, after CHL-owner Boskalis had run into financial trouble, Admiraal
managed to buy back CHL (meanwhile relocated to Katwijk) with its 35 staff,
making it an NRP subsidiary once again.
Meanwhile, in 1982, Gerhard Prins had retired from the NRP, but kept
working for the company as an advisor until 1984. After that,
the work on new developments for the CIA started to decline,
as Prins' creative and inventive mind was dearly missed.
Nevertheless, the NRP refurbished the existing CIA equipment until
the early 1990s, and even developed the all new
SRT-153 bug.
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To make up for the decline in orders from the CIA, the NRP started
looking for other development work, in which their knownledge in the
field of transmitters and receivers could be exploited.
This was done by teaming up with the Dutch subsidary of the German
conglomerate AEG Telefunken.
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AEG, who had a good track record in the field
of civil, military and governmental communications systems, was a key
supplier to the Dutch Police and was able to delegate modication work
and the development of control centres to the NRP.
In the early 1980s, also via AEG, the NRP came in contact
with the
Dutch Radio Monitoring Service (RCD),
who urgently needed high-end mobile monitoring receivers for
locating the rapidly increasing number of clandestine radio
stations (pirates) in the country.
The NRP subsequently developed the sophisticated
PAN-1000 receiver.
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In 1993, the radar activities of the NRP and CHL were merged and
the company went on as CHL Netherlands BV. The remainder of the
NRP was liquidated and the highly secret activities for the CIA came
to an end.
CHL is still in business today and has its headquarters in Katwijk,
from where it sells its expertise in sophisticated radar antenna
systems and microwave sensors [1].
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Over the years, NRP and its (then) subsidary CHL, developed and produced a
variety of equipment in the field of radio and radar, some of which
is covered below. It is little known that the NRP also developed
and built an impressive range of
covert listening devices (bugs)
and related equipment for the US
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
under the intriguing codename EASYCHAIR.
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In 1952, the CIA discovered a covert listening device
in the office of the American Ambassador in Moscow, which became
known as The Thing.
In 1954, the CIA approached the NRP with the request to
research The Thing's principles and develop similar technology for the CIA.
The research resulted in a long-term contract with the CIA,
for the development of a range of
covert listening devices (bugs),
receivers and test equipment,
under the codename EASY CHAIR.
➤ More information
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Artemis is a high-precision microwave locating and positioning system
of the range-bearing type, developed by the NRP between 1957 and 1964.
It was used for precision-positioning of the caissons in the Dutch
Delta Works.
Artemis was later maintained by CHL and is current being produced and
marketed by Guidance Marine in the UK (2017).
➤ More information
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PAN-1000 was a high-end general coverage panoramic intercept
receiver, that was developed especially for the
Dutch Radio Monitoring Service (RCD)
in the early 1980s.
The receiver covers a frequency range from 0.1 to 1000 MHz
and could be fitted inside a car. It was intended for locating
clandestine radio stations (pirates).
➤ More information
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Alongside the PAN-1000 intercept receiver (see above), the NRP also
released this small portable field-strength indicator that was used
by the law enforcement officers to pinpoint the location of
clandestine transmitter at very close range.
This unit has a built-in frequency counter that could be enabled
temporarily by the user,
to quickly determine the frequency of the strongest signal in its vicinity.
➤ More information
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Opening of the NRP building in 1947
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The video below is probably the only surviving footage of the opening
of the NRP (Dutch Radar Laboratory) in July 1947. The short 1:24 minute clip
was taken by the Dutch cinema new agency Polyoon/Profilty, and published
on 7 July 1947. It features a number of distinguised people, including
NRP founder Joop van Dijk and radar pioneer Sir Robert Watson Watt.
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Opening Nederlands Radar Proefstation - 7 July 1947.
Source: Open Images.
Reproduced under the Creative Commons.
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The former headquarters of the NRP - Villa Wave Guide - was built in 1912
as Villa Kempner. It was designed by architect Karel (K.P.C.) de Bazel
as a holiday house for
the German businessman G. Kempner, who was a great admirer of The Netherlands
and the Dutch coastline in particular.
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During WWII, the house was occupied and used by the German Army to oversee
and protect the work on the Atlantic Wall [10]. Towards the end of the war,
the Germans abandonned the 33 years old villa and left it in a deplorable state.
Shortly after the war, in 1946, the building was acquired by Joop van Dijk with
the intention to use it as the future headquarters for the newly established
Dutch Radar Laboratory (Nederlands Radar Proefstation). The house was
refurbished and expanded. Furthermore, it was painted white and was given
the suitable name WAVE GUIDE. 1
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At the rooftop, an impressive operational radar antenna, a so-called
scanner, was installed. It was intended for radar experiments and
demonstrations. In July 1947 the new prestigious company opended its doors,
in the presence of Robert Watson Watt, as can be seen in the
newsreel above.
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Over the years, the villa was refurbished and expanded several times and
in 1960 a separate building was erected to house the Christiaan Huygens
Laboratorium (now: CHL). It is visible in the image above to the left of
Villa Wave Guide.
As the Christiaan Huygens Laboratory was spun out of the NRP to focus
on the development of radar antennas, the big rotating radar scanner
was removed from the rooftop of Wave Guide
and re-erected on top of the new
CHL building, as can be seen in
this picture
that was taken in 1962 whilst working on the
Easy Chair Mark V.
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CHL was sold off in 1972 and bought back in 1984 by the NRP's new
owners Gerhard Prins and At Admiraal.
In 1993 part of the NRP was merged with CHL and the company was
relocated to a new premises in Katwijk.
The NRP's former headquarters - Villa Wave Guide -
became a family house for the next 25 years, but kept its radiant white
colour and its intriguing name as witnesses
of its remarkable past.
In 2017 it was sold to a new owner, who has since refurbished it completely.
➤ Villa Waveguide in 2017
➤ Villa Waveguide in 2019
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A Wave Guide, also written as Waveguide, is a hollow pipe
structure that guides electromagnetic or acoustic waves. It is one of
the core components of a radar installation. ➤ Wikipedia
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- Nederlands Radar Proefstation (NRP)
Villa Wave Guide
Zuid Boulevard 57
Noordwijk aan Zee (Netherlands)
- Nederlands Radar Proefstation (NRP)
Villa Wave Guide
Koningin Astrid Boulevard 57
Noordwijk aan Zee (Netherlands)
- Christiaan Huygens Lab (CHL)
Koningin Astrid Boulevard 56
Noorwijk aan Zee (Netherlands)
- CHL Netherlands BV
Office address: Lageweg 16, 2222 AG Katwijk, Netherlands
Postal address: P.O. Box 3072, 2220 CB Katwijk
Phone: +31 (0)71 4025514
E-mail: marketing@chl.nl
Website: www.chl.nl
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- CHL Netherlands BV, History of CHL
Website. Retrieved January 2013.
- Reformatorisch Dagblad, Radar/Proefstation op Boulevard in Noordwijk
Website (Dutch) 3 January 1985.
➤ Original article
- Nieuwsblad van het Noorden, Radar-proefstation geopend
8 July 1947. p.1, col. 6.
- Noordwijkse Huizen, Photograph of Villa Wave Guide
Website (Dutch). Copyright unknown. Retrieved January 2013.
- Google Streetview, Photograph of Villa Wave Guide today (2013)
Google Maps. Retrieved January 2013 and November 2019.
- Nederlands Radar Proefstation 40 Jaar / 1947-1987
July 1987.
- Pjotr, Villa Kempner (eindelijk)
Retrieved March 2017.
- Bazel, K.P.C. de / Archief
Retreived March 2017.
- Fritz Kempner, Looking Back
Family history 2006. Retrieved march 2017.
- Wikipedia, Atlantic Wall
Retrieved March 2017.
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© Crypto Museum. Created: Tuesday 15 January 2013. Last changed: Monday, 26 December 2022 - 08:45 CET.
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![NRP was housed for many years in villa WAVE GUIDE in Noordwijk. Copyright unknown [4].](img/villa_wave_guide.jpg)
