[techinc-announce] Reminder: Talk: The VAMPIRE Returns - Cold War Tactical Electronic Warfare Resurrected

[Johan Helsingius]

Just a reminder - I am doing this talk on Friday (September 19)
at 20:00 in the space, for anyone interested in Cold War history
and arcane radio equipment and vehicles.

Expanded repeat of OHM2013 talk "The VAMPIRE Returns - Cold War Tactical 
Electronic Warfare Resurrected"

The Cold War Electronic Warfare Group has restored and recommissioned some of 
the vehicles and systems used by the 14 Signal Regiment of the British Army, 
stationed in Celle, Germany, close to the Iron Curtain, in the 1980′s and 
1990′s. The presentation covers the history, background and function of the 
systems, as well as the challenges in the restoration/recommissioning work.

In the early 1980's, the Cold War that had, by then, already lasted for over 30 
years, entered a new, intense phase, with active conflict in Afghanistan, but 
serious unrest in Europe as well.

In addition to strategic intelligence initiatives, there was also a critical 
need for tactical electronic intelligence, placed close to the Iron Curtain, and 
able to track the movements of Warsaw Pact forces both during the build-up and 
actual deployment in case the cold war got "hot".

One of the main groups fulfilling this function was the 14 Signal Regiment of 
the British Army - a group of "hackers in uniforms", with a combination of 
skills in conventional warfare, electronics, radio, linguistics and code breaking.

Our volunteer group, the Cold War Electronic Warfare Group, has spent a number 
of years restoring and recommissioning the vehicles and equipment, such as the 
VAMPIRE (VHF Army Mobile Position Indicating Radio Equipment) used by the 14 
Signal Regiment in the 1980's and early 90's.

In this presentation we will discuss the methods and equipment used during the 
Cold War, as well as the work done by our group to, on one hand, restore and 
recommission the vehicles and systems, and on the other hand try to patch 
together the history and facts despite the intense secrecy surrounding the 
electronic warfare units and operations in the Cold War.

	Julf