May 28, 2014
If you think NSA is secretive, the Boys at Fort Meade have nothing on the much more secretive the Swedish SIGINT agency, the Försvarets Radioanstalt (FRA). But the Swedes are beginning to loosen up a little bit.
This website has some great picture of two of FRA’s SIGINT collection stations on the island of Gotland at Folhammar and Faludden. These two sites, which have been around for more than 60 years, spy on Russian military targets in the Baltic Sea area 24/7.
National Defence Radio Establishment (FRA) on Gotland
Folhammar
Faludden
Defence Radio Establishment is a civilian authority under the Ministry of Defense. FRA has two main tasks, they will engage in signals intelligence and information security support to authorities and state-owned companies. Communication The search is directed against both civilian and military telephony and data traffic. The technical signals intelligence is directed primarily against military sources.
On 30 June 1942, the Government took the decision to establish the National Defence Radio Establishment. Starting in 1943 the FRA headquarters on Lovön, only a few miles from Drottningholm Palace outside of Stockholm. Signals intelligence, conducted from stations at appropriate locations in Sweden, from the ship HMS Orion and Gulfstream aircraft of type IV. From 2010, also Sweden's largest warship HMS Carlskrona, which is being rebuilt from the mine laying for communications to be used by the FRA. All signals is done on behalf of various clients such as Government, Armed Forces National Police, Customs etc., etc..
Military signals intelligence involves collecting, analyzing and reporting intelligence from military telecommunications transmissions. There are two main areas:
Technical signals. Aimed primarily at signals with a purpose other than communications such as radar, navigation and weapons systems. From these intelligence produced only information about the technical and operational threat. Reconnaissance stations are located at places which are advantageous with respect to radio wave propagation. Sightings are also conducted from aircraft and ships.
Communication Reconnaissance. military signals intelligence on longwave and shortwave conducted in 1905, primarily the Navy. Among other things, they managed to solve some of the Russian Baltic fleet encrypted traffic. Towards the end of the 1950s was organized within the Defense Staff, a communications department and a cipher department. These activities constituted strain in it, directly under the government obedient, civil authority FRA which was formed in 1942. Customers were the government, the Supreme Commander, armed services, FMV and FOA.
During World War II had great success with, among others, Professor Arne Beurling forcing of the German strategic traffic between Oslo and Berlin, which took advantage of the Swedish west coast cable. Intelligence had great importance for the Swedish policy towards Germany and defense opportunities for preparedness.
Signals on Gotland
During the 1940s and 50s were built several reconnaissance stations, including Gotland, and for longer range started using aircraft such as the DC-3 "Hugin" began regular reconnaissance missions the spring of 1952 and became, by a Soviet fighter shot down the June 13 the same year over international waters east of Gotska Sandon. All on board, several men from the FRA and three of the Air Force were killed.
Since FRA's interception is classified, there is little information about their activities on the island. FRA established himself in 1944 in Ljugarn. In a house on Main Road 2 was radio equipment during the summer generated so much heat that all the windows in the building must be open. The staff were housed in the house that they rented by locals.
For many years, low plant at Hallute hill but in recent years the plant was moved to Folhammar, a quieter place outside Ljugarn.
During the 1970s, erected a station west of Ljugarn where reconnaissance conducted by the Swedes communications. That it was conducted reconnaissance satellite was however rejected by the FRA's Director General.
The department was formed in connection with a reorganization in 2006, when three divisions were merged into one. Communications Interception is done automatically using a number of search terms, keywords, technical details of the transmission, such as chemical formulas. When all the pieces are in place simultaneously occurs interception. If not sökkriteringarna true sifted communication away. Short-range transmissions in Sweden, however, do not listen to.
The business is conducted nowadays even from the old lighthouse at Faludden in eastern Gotland. On a large, cordoned off area of telecommunications masts and barracks work 20 or so people to intercept traffic in the ether which are deemed interesting. Especially intercepted traffic in Arabic, Persian and Albanian.
As a result of changes in threat notification and needs, a number of station closures during 1991-2001. For many years, FRA up to 180 employees on Gotland and even today is the FRA is a major employer on the island. (Read more about the signals: http://www.signalspaning.se )
FRA facility somewhere on Gotland
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