comradeloganov on DeviantArthttps://www.deviantart.com/comradeloganov/art/Finnish-RF-61F-Reporter-Sharkmouth-457472152comradeloganov

Deviation Actions

comradeloganov's avatar

Finnish RF-61F Reporter - Sharkmouth

Published:
2.1K Views

Description

Over Exposed! - Part 6: "You're so near to Russia..."

During the Cold War, Finland occupied a strategic position between two hostile blocks and was an object of interest to the superpowers as both a buffer zone and an overflight and military transit route. Both sides cultivated the potential to use tactical nuclear weapons against targets in our (i.e. Finnish) territory, at least pre-emptively. Both engaged themselves in intensive intelligence activities in Finland and in the bordering areas.

U.S. intelligence services and the United States Air Force had by 1952, if not even earlier, available sets of old aerial photographs almost complete covering the eastern and northern parts of Finland. Some of the pictures were old German ones, and some showed also the Soviet side of the border. In 1951-52, the Army intelligence service (G-2) wished to get their hands on new more detailed maps and aerial photos and directed the Military Attaché's office in Helsinki to expedite delivery from Finland. The entire Finnish coastline was photographed from above.

In 1952, maps and photos of ditches on meadows, fields and swamps all over Finland were demanded, as well as plans of ditch development in general. The Army G-2 (intelligence) requested to be sent three copies of exact photos and maps of each specified location throughout the country. They were needed for possible war-time use and for guidance systems of missiles. Negotiations with the Finnish Mapping Service yielded results: in the 1950's, the Finns handed over to the United States at least 100,000 copies of aerial photo maps and photos of areas of which they themselves had not printed maps yet.

In return the Americans provided the Finns with good-quality photography paper (600,000 sheets sent in diplomatic pouches) and “secret” – not “top secret”, however – intelligence on the socialist countries. All was very secret, because disclosure of this arrangement would lead to difficulties with dire consequences, as G-2 wrote.

The Military Attaché bureau wrote to G-2 in 1952 stressing that a lot of important information had been obtained from Finns in Helsinki, but the Finnish representatives in Washington had received practically nothing in return. The flow of intelligence information would probably grow, if there were more reciprocity. G-2 agreed that Finland as a neighbor of the USSR was an important observation post. The Department of the Army agreed: there were security risks, but the profit justified them.

An important element to both sides in this exchange was Ilmavoimat's RF-61F Reporter. After three years of service and only limited spares provided by the United States, the Finnish Air Force was having difficulty keeping the aircraft operational. If the US wanted the high quality aerial photos the Reporter could take--especially along the Soviet Border--they would need to provide Finland with the spares necessary to keep 'Over Exposed' flying.

It was in the scheme depicted that RP-999, repainted after the air race at Utti, took many of these photos in the early 1950s. The tally marks on the rudder indicate completed photography sorties.

Much of the above text comes from this much longer article on the Economist that I'd recommend to anyone interested in the period.

www.economist.com/blogs/easter…
Image size
5400x2700px 2.36 MB
© 2014 - 2024 comradeloganov
Comments6
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
homicidal45's avatar
Great detailing and information, thanks!
Rob