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Short Range Agent Communication
In the espionage trade, Short Range Agent Communication (SRAC) is method for
delivering and collecting information by means of short range radio. It is
in fact the electronic variant of the so-called
dead letter box, which
is why it is also known as electronic dead drop (EDD) or electronic
dead letter box (EDLB) [1]. It is a practicle implementation of Near Field
Communication (NFC).
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The first use of SRAC dates back to the
Cold War
in the early 1960s, and was exploited by both sides. It usually
involved small electronic devices that were capable of making
burst transmissions in the VHF radio band,
sometimes even with data encryption. The devices were used for delivering
messages at an electronic dead letter box (EDLB).
An early example of an SCRAC device is the
VHF FM transmitter
that is shown in the image on the right. It was used by the
Czechoslovakian
secret services in many espionage operations, and used an
UHER tape recorder as the storage device.
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In this case, the tape recorder was used to play back a verbal message
at the highest possible speed, but there are also examples of (Western)
devices that were as small as a pack of cigarettes and that were able
to record and playback encrypted digital messages at very high speed
(burst).
One example is a US-made set, known as
CDS-501,
that was reportedly captured in Cuba [1]
and in the former USSR [2]. These devices are also thought
to have been used in Central and Eastern Europe [2].
It operates in the VHF-H band and sends bursts of data,
encrypted with a CK-42 device,
from an agent to a receiving station located in a Western diplomatic
facility (embassy) in the hosting country.
Other known sets are the RT-517,
the RT-519,
the CDR-701 (RX only),
and the RS-804,
with the latter being the long-range
variant of the CDS-501,
that works via satellite.
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SRAC devices on this website
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© Crypto Museum. Created: Thursday 04 October 2018. Last changed: Thursday, 25 November 2021 - 20:57 CET.
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