RAF Fylingdales

United Kingdom / England / Sleights /
 military, RAF - Royal Air Force, surveillance
RAF Fylingdales on Snod Hill in the North York Moors, England. Its motto: "Vigilamus" (We are watching). A joint radar & comms base which is part of the US Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS).

As part of intelligence-sharing arrangements between the US and UK, data collected at RAF Fylingdales are shared between the two countries. It is also a comms (Echelon) detection and tracking facility.

It was the initial UK station in the European Troposcatter-Army (ET-A) commolink connected to Martlesham Heath. ET-A mircowave communication system provides a complete long-haul military microwave network in Europe, consisting of mainline (important) and tributary (relay) sites.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballistic_Missile_Early_Warning_System
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   54°21'33"N   -0°40'4"E

Comments

  • When did the 'golf balls' disappear?
  • They got knocked down in mid 90s, I think.
  • Golf balls were demolished in 1992 with the end of the Cold War.
  • According to Whitby city councilman Simon Parkes, this base is used for tracking more than just ICBMs.
This article was last modified 12 years ago