KKN50 U.S. State Department

Offically, KKN50 was run by the US Department of State Intelligence Service. Interestingly, it is registered with the ITU (International Telecommunications Union) as operated by the CIA. In reality, it was a CIA operation, with transmissions from the Warrenton Training Center near Remington, Virginia, just outside Washington, DC. The WTC is the transmitter site for many of the CIA Counting Station transmissions.

It was part of a network of other stations. Many of the stations had listed locations that did not seem to make sense, considering shortwave propagation, and reports of reception at times that should have been impossible.

KKN50 transmited regular marker beacons, which could be heard throughout the day. It has not been heard since 1997, and may no longer be operational.

Here's a sample marker transmission:

QRA QRA QRA DE KKN50 KKN50 KKN50 QSX 6/10/11 K

Occasionally actual traffic is heard, often in the form of 5 digit groups (Gee, what a shock)

Frequencies used by KKN50:

 6925.5 kHz
11455.5 kHz
15970.5 kHz
18525.5 kHz

Stations in the network

KKN50 WTC - Remington VA
KKN40 Monrovia, Liberia
KWS78 Athens, Greece / Cyprus
KWH90 Clark AFB, Philippines
KWH50 RAF Croughton, UK
KKN39 Miami FL


Last updated September 21, 1999

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cps@blackcatsystems.com Chris Smolinski