Operation Waverider

Operation Waverider
Date October 26, 1972 – October 28, 1972 Location Caribbean Sea, Central America Result Ending of transmissions.
Belligerents
United States (IAPF) Inter-American Peace Force	Unknown Operators
Strength
>250 US Navy personnel	Unknown

Operation Waverider was an operation of the United States Navy involving the tracking and locating of a previously unidentified moving radio transmitter.

History

During early 60's and 70's, radio stations transmitting long series of numbers could be heard from multiple locations all over the globe. Among radio amateurs and ham operators, these became known as numbers stations. In the early autumn of 1972, the Navy made a break-through in decrypting said signals, which resulted in Operation Waverider. A number of navy vessels, among them USS Fox (CG-33), were dispatched to track down the identified station, whose position had been triangulated to within a few square miles of sea. Upon arriving at the position, radar confirmed a presence of another ship, but the originating source appeared to be a civilian ship flying Nicaraguan colors and identifying itself as freighter Yonderbee, heading for Kingston, Jamaica. Fox backed off, and proceeded - as per orders received - to track said ship by radar and alert Naval Command to any deviations from course. The station ceased to operate as soon as Yonderbee came within visual range of Fox.