Isdal woman Part III - Cold war Radio equipment

I read somewhere on the Internet that Isdal woman could not have been carrying radio equipment because they were heavy and bulky. I had to look into this myself just in case, and I have found this not to be true. Actually, there are a multitude of portable devices that she without any trouble could have had both in her luggage and on her body. This equipment ranges from full blown two way radio senders and receivers, to smaller interceptor equipment.

I don't think it is likely a woman would carry full blown radio senders and receivers "just in case" it was needed. I actually don't think she would carry it at all, but one can not rule out a couple of possibilities.

There are so many possible ways she could have been "an agent" with an agenda. I say "with an agenda", because the travelling "honeypot" doesn't seem likely since she stood out as much as she did. It would be completely insane for anyone looking this suspicious, acting so "strange" to actually be that strange. You just would not carry anything even remotely spy like during the cold war if you looked like she did.

Only because of the disguises found in the suitcase and the somewhat cryptic "travel schedule" she had written down in pen on the back of a notepad, I have opted to look at possible communications equipment.

Wide hips
The woman was at least once described as having wide hips. This description was not given by a male shoe salesman that helped her find a pair of rubber boots like I thought previously (he just said "nice legs"), but by a female receptionist at hotel St. Svithun in Stavanger. her description is quoted by NRK, and it says:

(she was) "dark (referring to hair most likely), and had light brown complexion (actual translation would read: "golden skin", but that's not a fair translation), conspicuously (maybe "remarkable" is a better translation?) wide hips without being fat, speaks poor English.

English translation
The word "Påfallede" is used when something is out of the ordinary. Like it really is prominent and noticeable beyond the observers general ability to observe. If you don't notice something that is "påfallende", you aren't paying attention, or you don't know what the alternatives are. Even if you dont, you would be hard pressed to explain how you did not notice something that is "påfallende" if asked by police.

Another detail, is the "without being fat"-remark. It is as if the witness is somewhat confused this was actually a female body type. It must have been very rare (at least to her / Norwegians), to see such broad hips on such a slender female.
Now. That could actually be the case. That her wide hips were abnormal in Norway at the time, but I cant say I have found anything that points to this as a fact. At least not to such an extent that this would be one of the major observations made of her.

This observation was made in Stavanger. Or, on one of her trips to Stavanger from Bergen if you like. It is in Stavanger she is reportedly being seen curiously watching the trial firing of the new Penguin missiles. The Fisherman that say he saw her is now dead, but his wife claims he was 100% positive. The fisherman alerted the security officer at a (naval?) base in Stavanger. From that moment on, any counter intelligence could have been looking for Isdal woman.

The corpse later discovered, shows the female body has somewhat unusually muscular thighs. I can't say I notice anything "conspicuously wide" or "påfallende" with her hips, and neither does the police or coroner. At least they don't describe such a feature.
This could be pure chance. It could be, the remark was made after a police interviewer asked "did you notice anything out of the ordinary" -or something like that, but just for the sake of the argument, -and because this looks like an actual statement, I will go with the theory that the woman observed and believed to be the same Isdal woman had "extra wide hips" at least during her check-in in Stavanger.

Cold War spy (hunting) gadgets
Getting back to the radio equipment of the days, it would actually be possible for any agent in the field to wear either communication equipment, or interceptors or locators. Radio equipment ranges from two way communication gear to pure senders or pure receivers. Interceptors would be equipment capable of picking up radio transmissions, and locators would be equipment used to pinpoint the source of a radio signal. Combos of all these exist. For special forces and agents / operatives, these devices was made portable or wearable.

None of these are as mysterious as they might sound. They were actually wide spread, and their use and existence is well documented. Below are examples of such gear.

The Filin DDR (USSR)

Filin - modified german (east?)

Same modified Filin.

Filin (Russian: Филин) is a Russian body-wearable intercept receiver that was used during the Cold War to track down, locate and intercept enemy communication. The eavesdropping receiver was developed around 1970 and was available in three different versions, each with its own frequency range. The version shown here was used by the East-German Secret Police (Stasi). Like most secret Russian equipment, it was named after a bird. Filin is the Russian word for owl.(from: http://www.cryptomuseum.com/df/filin/index.htm)

Webbing to carry equipment concealed.

Webbing with a SP20(?)

SP20 complete two way.

The SP-15 is a complete self-contained modular spy radio station, developed in Germany in the early 1960s by Wandel & Goltermann and H. Pfitzner for the German Intelligence Agency Bundes­achrichten­dienst (BND). It was intended for espionage, diplomatic radio traffic, Special Forces (SF), clandestine (covert) operations and Stay Behind-Organisations (SBO). Certain components of the SP-15 radio station were also used by the organizations and agencies of other countries. In The Netherlands and some other countries, the SP-15 was also known as FSS-7 and as FS-7. 

 The SP-20 is a spy radio set, developed around 1970 by Pfitzner/Teletron and AEG Telefunken in Germany, as a replacement for the aging valve-based SP-15. It was used by a number of Stay-Behind Organizations in Europe (Gladio) as well as by the Special Forces of the German Army. The two versions can be determined by their colour, green and grey, but are otherwise identical. 

(read about SP15 (-20): http://www.cryptomuseum.com/spy/sp15/index.htm)

 

Compact equipment

Compact equipment

To say she could not have been carrying equipment because it was too large or too heavy, would be wrong. Even during WWII, a female undercover agent working for GB (google "spy princess") operated for years dragging a full blown suitcase radio around in occupied Paris. Avoiding detection in spite of being actively sought out. 
Possible? Yes. Likely? I don't know. It depends on the spoons. The passport. The cause of, and exact manner of death.

Stay Behind
The Gladio / Stay Behind network was operating in Norway since the end of WWII and at least up until 1979, when a secret arms stash / radio transmitting facility was discovered in the basement of a house in Oslo. There was enough equipment to arm some 100 men, and it is reported (by popular media) that there was weapons and ammunition there that seasoned police officers had never seen before. I guess those kinds of network don't just disband themselves. And I am sure they don't report to anyone. At least not the police. These are pure military groups. Probably would have been easy to call upon by regular secret military services (either UK, US or domestic) in 1970 if needed. They could even operate by them selves. What if Isdal woman was hunting radio transmitters? Or she herself had a transmitter and was hunted down?

That would have been something. A rogue agent from Russia / Belgium or Middle East taken out by an secret organization linked to NATO. In Norway. Juhuu!

Anyway. The maps showing how post WWII Europe looked like, should be studied if one is to try to understand Isdal woman's travels. At least if she was at all connected to any of the major players.

Europe division after WWII

Isdal woman's movement discovered by police.

I am no expert. But I would claim it is fair to want to look at her known travel through Europe. What person would choose this route from Stavanger to Basel? Is this the most common route? Almost on top of the "Iron Curtain" border? Would it not be easier to travel behing the Iron Curtain if russian or deeper inside NATO if Nato-affiliation? And what is in Basel other than Swiss banks?
 
 Radio equipped Isdal woman
Just for fun, I have made a sketch based on pictures of corpse (body shape) and added radio equipment like the ones mentioned here. This is of course by no means a scientifically based study. Just a playful sketch. Either way, as much as I might want this radio equipment to fit on her body, I don't think it does. I actually think the very muscular thighs is the reason for the witness describing those broad hip without being fat. A bit strange for the police to leave this out.

Broad hips vs Fat vs Normal?