[ARC5] How Secret Was the ZB/YG System? Not much!

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

Actually, that isn't totally correct.  Or at least in the stated sense.  The 
names of the security classifications were changed.  The term "Restricted" was 
changed to "Confidential".  "Confidential" was changed to "Secret".  And so 
on up the chain.  Unclassified was added to the bottom of the food chain.  And 
terms like UNCLAS EFTO and UNCLAS NOFORN came into use.  The declassification 
process was/is independent of the nomenclature changes.  

In a message dated 3/30/2007 6:31:47 PM Central Standard Time, 
kk5f at earthlink.net writes: 
> The ZB/YG system was never SECRET...not even close...not even when WWII was 
> in progress.
> 
> In the WWII-era, levels of classification in the US Armed Forces ranged from 
> RESTRICTED to CONFIDENTIAL to SECRET to TOP SECRET.  The classification of 
> the equipment manuals is an indication of how secret the equipment is.  Before 
> and even in the midst of WWII, the classification of the ZB-*, AN/ARR-1, and 
> AN/ARR-2 equipment manuals was only RESTRICTED.  That is a very low level of 
> classification...even the SCR-*-183 and RU/GF were RESTRICTED.  The homing 
> decode cards for the ZB/YG system were often at the next higher classification 
> of CONFIDENTIAL, but only when filled in.  
> 
> Manuals for WWII USN IFF systems like the AN/APX-1, -2, and -8 were 
> CONFIDENTIAL, with red covers on the manuals.  
> 
> After WWII the RESTRICTED classification was eliminated in the US.  Manuals 
> for the ZB/YG homing system were completely declassified.
> 

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