REF ID:A66618 

16DEC1953 

MD10RA!lDUM FORs DIRECTOR, IATIOllAL SECURITY AGEt~CY 

SUBJECT1 Converters, M209 

1. Reference is made to telephone conversation between Colonel Davisi 

NSA, and Lt. Colonel long, OACors, G-21 Department or the Army, 14 December 

19531 pertaining to requests by Foreign Governments to purchase or procure 

converters, M209, from the Department ot the Army. 

2. A eummary of the Yarious requests, by countries, is listed below 

a.a f'ollows1 

a. Phillpp!nes. BJ' letter to Department or the .Army, dated 

4 April 1951, JUSM..401 Philippines, recommended that a total ot 229 converters, M209, be supplied to the Philippines. At that time, the 

Philippine Armed Forcps had o~ hand 'J&J converters, M209, 'Which were 

cryptographic brickbone of the communications qatems between the Armed 

Forces General Headquarters arid the units in the field, including BCTs and/or 

battalion headquartera. The use or converters, M209, and the eecurit;r or 

the qstem was exact]J' the Bame a• prescribed bJ' the U.S. Training in the 

uae or converters, M2091 •e oonduated at the l'hillppine Signal Corps 

Schools b7 instructors who had previously been trained at the U.S. Army 

Signal School. On l2 June 1951, approval WU given by the Department or 

the Army, with the concurrence or AFSA, to release a total or 2'9 converters, 

M209, tt> the Philippines via MDAF channels. 

b. Uruguay. BJ a letter, dqted 6 October 1952, to Chief or 

Foreign Liaison, OACots, G-2 1 General Guillermo Murdcok, Uruguayan Military 

Attache, Vashington, stated that the Urugu~yan Government was interested 

in purchasing J6 oonvertera, M209. On 14 October 1952, Urugua;yan Military 

.lttache, iilshingt.on, vaa informed that the it.en of equipment was not 

&'f'ailable for sale. 

o. lndia. B;r letter, dated 16 March 1951, to the Foreign Liaison 

Officer, OACofS, G-2, Brigadier r.c. Banerji, Indian Militar;r Attache, 

Washi.JJgton, stated that India was interested in the procurement of converters, 

Models 209, 209& and 209b and that India was endeavoring to procure these 

items from COJ!lJ!'lEtrc1al source•. Hovever, in order to insure that correct 

equipnent was procured and in accordance With spec1.!1ed requiremente, he 

J:"eque1ted two copies or TM 11-380, along with related drawiz:igs and speciticationa. By letter, dated 17 April 1951, OACotS, G-2, augges1:ed that 

eclassified and a roved for release b ursuant to E .0. 1352 
-- --- - --- ---- REF ID:A66618 

8UBJE01'1 Converters, M2C9 16DEC1953 

the Indian request. be handled on a Oovermental level stating that thie 

request mould be au'bdtted to the Off'ice, Internal Seourit7 Atf'airs, 

DepartD.eDt or State, in accordance vith eatabliehecl Mutual rieremse Jid 

lll'rangemente,. 

4. fJ::ans:J!. On 23 8-ptacber 1952, MAAG Fra~ce, requested an 

addition or I.SO M209 converters, MDA Program tor Fraree. MA.AO France 'Wal 

further informed that Prance had on hand 11 850 converter&, M209. Department ~ the Anq, on 2 .April 1953, reco.°'i'Ceneed di.Approval to the releasing ot 

M209e to France because of the f'oll.owlng reason•• (l) tuture quantities 

or M209a would not pend t large issue of this equipment to roreien nations 

and at!ll retain an adequate eu;.pl-7 tor our own torces in event of 

.,bilizations; (2) no ad•antage vaa aeen 1n training fore1a11 co::.munic-;tiona 

per1onnel in the use or M2C'9 1t apare parte and equ1J1D911t could not be 

ude available because the tool11, diea 1111d fixtures uaed in the manuf'acture 

or this equipment had been deatrc.7ed; and (3) to release such wuld ,.,,, require a exception to axiating national die closure pol1ey. 

Ou 22 September 1953, the French in Indochina requested tm -----......._, 

ac!41.t.ion or )50 converters, M209, tor the FY 1951., Indochina MDA Mater1e1 \ 

Progrm tor uae 1Jl apanding .Aseoaiated l'orces communications net'WOrke. This\ 

request vaa not considered favorab]¥ bJ" the Department or t.be ~ becauee i.. 

the rele&se or euch equipnent might ~eopardise current negotiations being , : 

conducted between BSA alld Hr. Bagelin in Swaden. " 

- •• rwtuc!l· B7 letter, dated 23 .rune 1953, Chier, Jrrq Sec~ __ -HA.AG, ?ortugal. requested cleerance for a suppJ.7 of moditied converters, 

M209b. The Chief ot Arsr Section MA.AG •tated that fortugal requested a 

aupplJ" or converter•• M2C9b, to be used vith t.heir forces dest111ed tor 

aaa1gnment to S.lCEUB. The basis tor this request vaa in accordance with 

SHME Signal DirectiTe Ho. 4, Rav1a1on l. In accordance vith this 

J>irective, the M209b ia the onl.7 dmce which lU1' be used by Portuguese 'OD!.ta operating wit.in the allied command tor handling SECRET trattic. On 

9_December 1953, the Chier or MUG was inforacd. b,y Department or the Arrq 

that the moditied converter, M209b. vae Jiot a u.s. item or issue, pointing 

out the aodil'ication reterrad to vu dewloped b;; the French Government 

and that thia ie a version vhich has been approved ror th1J. d level JIA.TO 

Wle, and that the rele~ae or IJUCh wa prohlbited b;r Jfational Disclosures 

Policy implemented b.J Parqraph 7a(5) DA-Dau. 

r. TJl!W• 81" letter, dated 16 August 19501 Chi.et or TUSAG, 

Turke7, requested procw-8Jllcnt or M2C..9 converters for the Tuddsh Anrrr md 

it the supply of' such equipaent vas denied, it waa requested Department 

ot the !rrrrt' initiate action to obtain the equipment :rron co:rmtercial 

eources available, particultU"ly in Svecen. Eighty thousand eeven hundred 

UJd r1rt7 dollars had been budgeted and approved in the FI 1950, MD.A!> 
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REF ID:A66618 - .. . .. ··~----.. 

·-·--·--...,., 16 DEC 1953 SU&TECT1 Convertera, IQ09 

Prop-ea ror TurbJ' to inatituta procurecent of 11209• troe. any eource 

a..ailable. .Actions f'rOil:l 5 September 1950 t.hrough 8 F•'bruar1 1951, ree.tf'1rmed this request tor M209 aonvertere fo1· the Turkish Anny and the 

t!eo181on vu f'inal]J' made that in lieu or M2C9 converters, ASA and .AFSA 

"'111.d produce ar.d provide etrip cipher dftYicos ror low-level use in the 

Turkish Am7. Action was taken v1th SD-MIC to obtain the release of 

•trip cipher devices, CSf· 8'S, to Turkq. 1he class1ticat1on or the strip 

117sta vae SEC~. The M209 vaa mt made available to Turke;y tor the 

folloving reuons1 (l) llm1ted •urpl.1' available, post-var destruction ot 

toola, dies and tixt.urea, precluding the aanuf'aotura or this equi'P'l.ent on11' on an ecommcal bae1es and (2) the method or operation 1a u.s. and 

the comercial equip!ent (Sveeen) 1.a not ao secure aa the u.s. method. 

TOSAG, Tarkey, by letter, dated 22 Mq 19531 reque!':ted 600 converters, 

M209, tor the Turki•h Ari117. The Dei:artment or the ~ diaapproved 'the 

l'elt!!la1!8 o'f M2()9, 001'.mlrtera to Turkq based OD the f'&ot. it would require 

u e:zr:eption to DA-Dat'I, and that to iesue the quantit," requested would 

deplete the r eeerna requ1.Ted tor u.s. Arlll:r and 110 flpSre parta vere 

available al'Jd thflt ll'Uf't1c1ent equipiient to COJ:pletel7 replace M209 

equ1Jlllent would not be available for ai:·prorlmllte~ 6 months. 

•• kt.in Alle}'1cp une 9t M209. 'B1' letter, dated 26 Januncy 1951, 

b-an u.s. k.-Jq CAP.IB, OACots, G-2, vaa informed thRt converters, M2C9, are 

1n the possession or the Coverrcents of Argentina, Colombia a!ld Peru, and 

that converters were obtained b7' Ecuador in J~ 1947 a1ld. Yenosuel11 1n 

December 19.(8. Some o£ the Mission Chief's in t.be lat1n JaerioAn countries, 

particularl,y in Peru, have given instruction in the operatione or the M209 

eonvertera. BJ' letter, dated 17 Febl"'US1'"7 1953, to CG, u.s. A.m7, CARIB, 

O&Cots, 0-21 reaffirmed policy that i11striJcti-,n ~ KAAOs on M209s to 

taretp nationals wro prohiblted. 

3 

:I"'"._ '".,, 

Ei'GNBP 

1lfOMAS M. LARNER 

Colonel, GS 

Chief, Policy and 

Coorr1i'1:'1-· , : 0ffice, G-2 

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