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DDR
MfS
  
Grenze →
  
Horizont
VHF Cross-border spy radio system - this page is a stub - wanted item

HORIZONT (English: Horizon) is the codename of a secret UHF cross-border spy radio system, introduced in 1978 by the OTS of the Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (MfS, Stasi) — the in­tel­li­gence service of the former DDR (East-Germany).

In 1988, the successor of the HORIZONT system was developed. Named 'GRENZE' it was destined to replace HORIZONT in 1990, but due to the unforeseen fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 and subsequent reunification of Germany the following year, GRENZE was never rolled out.


Specifications
  • Device(s)
    Spy radio system
  • Purpose
    VHF line-of-sight (LOS) cross-border communication
  • Codename
    Horizont
  • Project
    32900
  • Developer
    MfS OTS/33
  • User
    MfS HV A/VIII
  • Years
    1978-1989
  • Successor
    GRENZE (1990)
Documentation
  1. System 32900 (Horizont) block diagrams
    MfS 203. VVS B 190/80. Berlin, 1980. 3 pages
    Bundesarchiv — Stasi-Unterlagen Archiv. Mfs OTS, Nr. 1223. [2]
References
  1. Detlev Vreisleben, Personal correspondence
    Crypto Museum, November 2025.

  2. Bundesbeauftragte für die Stasi-Unterlagen (BStU) 1
    Federal Commissioner for the Stasi-Records.

  3. Strategie 2000 - Operative Nachrichtenverbindingstechnik
    Descriptions of operational and planned intelligence communication technology (German).
    MfS OTS, B 37/88. Berlin, 30 August 1988. Page 3.

  4. Ordnung Nr. HV A 1/86 für die Arbeit mit operativ-technischen Mitteln
    OTM Ordnung. VVS MfS o059-A 35/86. Berlin, 15 October 1986. pp. 30-31.

  5. Degenhardt (HV A/VIII) an Schmidt (OTS/33), UKW-Verbindungssystem 32900
    Letter about planned migration from 32900 (Horizont) to 32922 (Grenze) - (German).
    HVA/VIII. Berlin, 29 March 1989. 1 page.
    Bundesarchiv — Stasi-Unterlagen Archiv. Mfs OTS, Nr. 1223. [2]
  1. Full name: Bundesbeauftragte für die Unterlagen des Staatssicherheitsdienstes der ehemaligen Deutschen Demokratischen Republik (DDR) — Federal Commissioner for the Records of the State Security Service of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) — officially abbreviated BStU. Since June 2021 part of the Bundesarchiv and known as Stasi-Unterlagen-Archiv.
Further information
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© Crypto Museum. Created: Friday 07 November 2025. Last changed: Friday, 07 November 2025 - 10:56 CET.
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