Strange Stratagems of the Cold War

Using cats as spies and researching superpowers were two projects considered unusual during the Cold War.

List Verse news site lists plans that many people consider crazy during the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union.

Using balloons to smuggle spies across the border

The CIA once intended to use balloons to transport spies across the border. Photo: List Verse

Warsaw Pact countries had extremely strict border defenses during the Cold War, which posed a major challenge for American spies to overcome if they wanted to effectively collect intelligence on their adversaries.

The US Navy wanted to use giant balloons used for astronomical observations and weather monitoring to transport spies across the border and into Soviet territory. They even made a film illustrating the idea of ​​using balloons to transport spies. The project was transferred to the research and development team of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

These balloons were originally powered by helium, but after a highly publicized accident in Wisconsin, the US Navy stopped licensing the gas for use in human-carrying balloon tests.

Therefore, Walter H. Gioumau, a CIA employee involved in the research process, decided to conduct another test flight using hydrogen gas instead of helium gas.

The first test took place in October 1951. Gioumau used ballast and a parachute to change the direction of the balloon, but immediately encountered problems. The hydrogen gas in the balloon leaked, and a sudden rainstorm made it extremely difficult to control. Gioumau's most terrifying moment was when he heard the sound of an engine and thought it was an approaching plane, but it turned out to be a train passing below him.

A second test was conducted two weeks later. Despite some initial success, the project was quickly shelved by the CIA to focus on other developments.

American psychic power research project

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the CIA began to suspect that the Soviet Union was investigating psychic phenomena. The RAND Corporation even released a study in 1973 warning that the Soviet Union had conducted experiments killing baby rabbits on submarines to see if mother rabbits could feel pain from shore.

By the mid-1970s, the CIA estimated that the Soviet Union was pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into such research, and was certain that the enemy would not spend so much until it had achieved some success. So the CIA was forced to follow the Soviets and conduct its own psychic research. The first program began in 1970.

This psychic project continued until 1995 in various forms, but according to a CIA report, they did not yield any useful intelligence despite spending up to 20 million USD.

Soviet superpower research project

The Soviet Union once invested a lot of time and effort in researching human superpowers. Illustration: List Verse

As reported by the US, the Soviet Union did indeed conduct research on psychic powers, starting in 1920. The initial focus was on telepathy. This was considered a perfect method of communication, both ensuring secrecy and being able to connect information over long distances. Later, they turned to studying the phenomenon of acting in a trance state because they believed that this ability would help the Soviet Union easily destroy sophisticated US missile guidance systems.

While the American psychic research program focused primarily on exploring the potential of the human mind, Soviet research attempted to develop a theory of how psychic power works. Their initial conclusions were based on the concept of "bioenergy," a by-product of the metabolism of living organisms.

Scientists believe that "bioenergy" will cause humans to emit an energy field called "bioplasma". People who possess psychic powers, also known as superpowers, are said to be able to use this energy source to affect objects or people around them.

Although both the US and Soviet psychic power research programs failed, the CIA assessed that the Soviet Union operated more systematically and systematically than the US.

Spy Cat Project

Cats can also be spies. Illustration: List Verse

As its name suggests, the CIA once attempted to use cats to gather intelligence from foreign officials. In 1967, the CIA ordered a team of veterinarians to implant an ear microphone and a radio transmitter into a cat's skull, turning it into a biological spy machine.

In the first test, the cat was released in a park to eavesdrop on the conversation of two men. However, the cat was run over by a car. Subsequent tests were also not as successful as expected.

The CIA continued to invest in several other cat spy training projects, assuming that it was possible to control them at a reasonable distance. However, a CIA report stated that, “given the security and environmental considerations,” using cats for spying was impractical. The project was later scrapped, but it cost the CIA about $20 million.

Rainbow Project

After the U-2 spy plane made its first flights over the Soviet Union, the CIA realized that Soviet air defenses were capable of detecting and tracking American aircraft. So in 1957, they decided to launch Project Rainbow, with the goal of reducing the radar signature of their aircraft. In other words, the CIA wanted to turn the U-2 into a stealth aircraft.

First, the CIA used bamboo poles to tie a string of iron beads around the plane, creating the Trapeze system. It worked on the premise that radar waves directed at the plane would be blocked.iron bead wireretained and unable to respond to ground control. In practice, this approach is ineffective.

The second method involved the CIA sticking a special plastic layer on the outside of the plane to absorb radar waves. This worked to some extent, but it made the plane heavier and more unstable, making it more likely to crash. The project ultimately only lasted about a year.

According to VNE