denbeste@uunet.UU.NET (Steven Den Beste) (11/02/89)
From: Steven Den Beste <wugate!BBN.COM!denbeste@uunet.UU.NET>
According to "All Things Considered" last night, there was a US submarine which
lost an antenna pod (described as something which is towed by the sub so it can
communicate by radio without surfacing) while at sea.
The thing washed up onto shore in Denmark, where it was picked up by the local
police. They called the Danish Navy to see if it was sensitive, and were told
that it wasn't. So they sold it at auction along with all the other
semi-valuable refuse which washed up on the shore, said auctions being
regularly held.
An electronics engineer there who frequents these auctions recognized what it
was and bought it for the equivalent of about $50 US.
The US government has offered him $500 for it, but he says that it originally
probably cost well over $5 million, and he thinks this is too small a sum. It
is not clear whether he is considering selling it to the Russians, but it
certainly contains things that the Pentagon would rather the Russians didn't
see. He's hidden it, and has a legal receipt of sale.
All this is particularly interesting because a few years ago another gizmo,
Russian this time, washed up on the shore and was sold to this same guy. That
time he didn't get a bill of sale and didn't hide it, and the Danish
government seized it. That's why he's being careful this time.
It does make you wonder, doesn't it? If I got the story wrong, can someone in
Denmark correct it?
Steven C. Den Beste || denbeste@bbn.com (ARPA/CSNET)
BBN Communications Corp. || {apple, usc, husc6, csd4.milw.wisc.edu,
150 Cambridge Park Dr. || gatech, oliveb, mit-eddie,
Cambridge, MA 02140 || ulowell}!bbn.com!denbeste (USENET)