Primal Space

The CIA’s Underwater Spy Device

Go to https://ground.news/primal and subscribe for 40% off unlimited access to world-wide coverage! Have you ever wondered how the CIA pulled off one of the greatest espionage operations in history? In this video, we explore the true story of Operation Ivy Bells, the top-secret CIA and U.S Navy mission to locate and wiretap an underwater communication cable serving a Soviet nuclear submarine base. Discover how the operation gave the United States a decade of invaluable intelligence on Soviet nuclear capabilities, until one NSA analyst betrayed their mission, and exposed one of the most remarkable espionage stories of the Cold War. Short on time? Feel free to use the chapter links below to skip ahead in this video. 00:00 The Greatest Spy Mission Ever 00:45 What is Operation Ivy Bells? 02:05 Finding the Soviet Cable 03:03 How the Spy Device Worked 03:35 Decoding Soviet Communications 05:43 The Wiretap Goes Silent 06:20 Who was the Mole? 08:01 KGB Defection Thanks for watching this Primal Space video. If you enjoyed it, let me know in the comments below, and don't forget to subscribe so you can see more videos like this! Support Primal Space by becoming a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/primalspace Twitter: https://twitter.com/thePrimalSpace References: https://primalnebula.com/the-cias-underwater-spy-device/ Script: Ewan Cunningham Animation: Guillaume Bouché, Ewan Cunningham Narrator: Beau Stucki Music used in this video is licensed from Artlist and Epidemic Sound. #OperationIvyBells #ColdWar #Espionage