The Moscow Signal and Havana Syndrome

Coming in From the Cold: Untold Stories from the Cold War

In 2017, reports of the mysterious “Havana Syndrome” dominated the news. American diplomats around the world reported experiencing a variety of symptoms including hearing a sudden loud noise, pain in one or both ears, feeling of pressure or vibrations in the head, tinnitus, visual problems, vertigo, nausea and cognitive difficulties.

There is no consensus among American Intelligence agencies as to the cause of Havana Syndrome, but one theory is that directed microwave weapons could be responsible. While this might sound like science fiction, this story has a Cold War parallel, the Moscow Signal.

In today’s episode Peter Kornbluh and Bill Burr, from the National Security Archives, join Bill to tell the story of the Moscow Signal and how the story parallels the Havana Syndrome.

Further Reading

The National Security Achieves: The Moscow Signals Declassified Microwave Mysteries: Projects PANDORA and BIZARRE

The National Security Achieves: The Moscow Signals Declassified Microwave Diplomacy

The National Security Achieves: The Moscow Signals Declassified: Irradiating Richard Nixon