Finnish radio intelligence
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. The Finnish Radio Intelligence was founded in 1927 by Reino Hallamaa. He quickly managed to build up an efficient organization Through international exchange, and during World War II, the radio intelligence proved very successful in breaking the codes and ciphers used by the Soviet Union, as well as other countries. At the beginning of the Winter War the organization employed some 75 persons, by the end of World War II it had a strength of over 1,000.
The Finnish Air Force had its own radio intelligence unit, which focused on intercepting and deciphering Soviet Air Force radio messages. Its strength was about 300.
At the end of World War II, the organization staged the Operation Stella Polaris, in order to evacuate intelligence personnel and material to neutral Sweden in case of a Soviet invasion.
After the wars many former officers signed up with foreign intelligence units in order to escape the communist infiltrated secret police Valpo, who wanted to investigate and arrest them.
Today the signals intelligence is handled by Viestikoelaitos in Finland.
