Cameras in the birds? CIA unveils Cold War spy-pigeon missions

At the CIA, tools of the espionage trade have ranged from to clothing cameras to dragonfly drones.

https://imgur.com/uQKfC01

The CIA thought pigeons could be used to spy against the Soviet Union
The CIA has declassified details of its secret Cold War spy-pigeon missions.

The files reveal how pigeons were trained for clandestine missions photographing sensitive sites inside the Soviet Union.

The release also reveals how ravens were used to drop bugging devices on window sills and dolphins were trained for underwater missions.

The CIA believed animals could fulfil "unique" tasks for the agency's clandestine operations.

Inside the CIA's headquarters in Langley, Virginia, is a museum, sadly closed to the general public. During a visit to interview the then-director I caught sight of something unusual amid all the bugging devices and spy gadgets.

It was a model pigeon with a camera strapped to it.



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