Operation Ivy Bells, Cold War wiretapping operation in Sea of Okhotsk, US
Operation Ivy Bells refers to a covert wiretapping mission conducted by the United States Navy against Soviet undersea cables in the Sea of Okhotsk during the Cold War. Divers placed listening equipment on military communication lines running along the seafloor between the Kamchatka Peninsula and mainland Soviet installations at depths of around 400 feet.
The United States Navy launched the operation in 1971 to intercept communications of the Soviet Pacific Fleet between the naval base at Petropavlovsk and Vladivostok. Missions continued until 1981, when a former employee of American intelligence services informed the Soviet government about the installed devices.
The operation demonstrated the technological capabilities of United States intelligence services through sophisticated underwater recording systems and naval expertise.
Diving operations took place in freezing water under extreme conditions with specialized helium breathing apparatus that allowed extended stays at great depth. Installing and maintaining the recording devices required highly specialized technology and multi-week underwater missions far from any coastline.
Soviet cables transmitted military messages without encryption because underwater lines were considered absolutely secure. The recording device was simply wrapped around the line and captured all conversations for several years without the Soviets knowing about it.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
