", "Keighley grandmothers arrested over spy base protest", "Veteran peace protester sent to jail despite prisons crisis", "Protest camp looks to raise awareness of Menwith Hill", "Menwith Hill Station: A Case Study in Signal Intelligence Gathering During the Cold War", "The Billion Dollar Phone Tap America's Big Ear in the Heart of Yorkshire", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=RAF_Menwith_Hill&oldid=1143070985, This page was last edited on 5 March 2023, at 19:52. Most of the protests targeted the missile defense strategies. RAF Menwith Hill was established in 1954 to act as a "communication intercept and intelligence support service" for both the United Kingdom and the United States, according to the documents submitted to the council. Royal Air Force Menwith Hill or more simply RAF Menwith Hill is a Royal Air Force station near Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England which provides communications and intelligence support. The overhauled main entrance would include a new visitor centre, registration office and gatehouse, as well as new security barriers, roads and car parks, the Local Democracy Reporting Service says. Investigations found that during the early 1960s, Menwith Hill was integrated into the General Post Office's microwave relay network known as 'Backbone', via a high-capacity underground cable link to the Hunters Stones communications tower, located approximately 3 miles (4.8km) to the south of the station. Rapporteur Gerhard Schmid (11 July 2001). For several years, British human rights campaigners and lawmakers have been pressuring the government to provide information about whether it has had any role aiding U.S. targeted killing operations, yet they have been met with silence. The plan for three shelters - called radomes - at the RAF base in North Yorkshire was lodged by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). [9] Duncan Campbell presented a report commissioned by STOA concerning the ECHELON system, at a "hearing of the Committee on Citizens Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs on the subject the European Union and data protection" which prompted the European Union to set up the Temporary Committee on the ECHELON Interception System. The disclosures about Menwith Hill raise new questions about the extent of British complicity in U.S. drone strikes and other so-called targeted killing missions, which may in some cases have violated international laws or constituted war crimes. DSN: 262-7759/7758. For information about the housing allowances that financially support your move, see Referral and Relocation Assistance. Learn more at the HOMES.mil site. It was later re-designated as the 451st Intelligence Squadron on 1 October 1993. The British War Office has decided to purchase a little under 550 acres. Is climate change killing Australian wine? Royal Air Force Menwith Hill is a Royal Air Force station near Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, which provides communications and intelligence support services to the United Kingdom and the United States. According to top-secret documents obtained by The. According to top-secret documents obtained by The Intercept from NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, Menwith Hill has two main spying capabilities. According to documents lodged by the MoD the proposed additions are "required to meet the operational output of the station". Any reference to satellites being operated or any connection to intelligence gathering is strictly prohibited.. Those times saw the first truly advanced computers as well. Phone: 01638-543540 | 238-3540 Check us out on Facebook! It is a switching operation. The MHO can assist you by: Alongside NSA employees within the complex, the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office also has a major presence at the site, running its own ground station from which it controls a number of spy satellites. "[28], Coordinates: 540029N 14124W / 54.00806N 1.69W / 54.00806; -1.69.
Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk. Where can I find an application for housing? [19], During a 1997 court case, British Telecom revealed that in 1975, its predecessor, the Post Office, installed two cables between Menwith Hill and a coaxial cable that connected to the microwave radio station at Hunters Stones, which was part of the long-distance telephone network. The site acts as a ground station for a number of satellites operated by the US National Reconnaissance Office, on behalf of the US National Security Agency, with antennae contained in a large number of highly distinctive white radomes, and is alleged to be an element of the ECHELON system. RAF Menwith Hill Stavanger 423d ABG Helpful Agencies 501st CSW Wing Staff Agency The 501st CSW WSA are comprised of 17 different agencies, located at RAF Alconbury and Croughton, that provide a wide range of mission support from finance to chapel services which facilitate operations and assist Airmen and their families across the wing. [9], Menwith Hill came to public attention in 1980 when British magazine the New Statesman published an article which suggested that the station was the world's largest phone tapping facility and highlighted the secrecy afforded to it by the British and US governments.
However, if the site was compromised during an invasion, three earth-covered bunkers contained ammunition and thermite charges which could be used to destroy classified equipment and material.
Menwith Hill Tours - Setec [32], Site security is provided by the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP). The council also approved the demolition of 13 buildings at the site last year. I dont buy this idea that you say the word security and nobody can know anything. [7] Security at the station was provided by a US Army military police detachment and the British Air Ministry Constabulary. "[10] During the early 1970s, the first of what became more than eight large satellite communications dishes were installed at Menwith Hill. There are only 10 RAF personnel at Menwith Hill but there are around 1,000 US military and civilian personnel. Instead of using it for a local base, the land was given to the American through a leasing contract. Please note that they do not usually offer a service to transport you to viewings public or private. Mon. Michael Cook/RAF/PA Wire. It is located in the central part of the kingdom, in North Yorkshire. Below is a list of installations that are supported by the Automated Housing Referral Network. Living locallyprovides members and families the chance to experience a new culture and make friends with their host country neighbors. California king size bed. In OCONUS, if you choose to use realtor services, discuss fees up front, as some realtors charge a finder's fee and government reimbursement is rarely authorized. The technology was cheaper than satellites and could transmit data across the world much faster than ever before, at almost the speed of light. Prince Charles visits RAF Menwith Hill. [1] It has been described as the largest electronic monitoring station in the world. Since then, the base has been used extensively to tap into communications in otherwise hard-to-reach areas where Islamic extremist groups such as al Qaeda and al Shabaab have been known to operate for example, in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region, Somalia, and Yemen. The American Air Force unit hosted on site is the 421-st Air Base Group. Contact the MHO as soon as you know you are moving. The MOD retains control over the site's use and facilities, however the administration of the site is the responsibility of the US authorities.
The technique, the document revealed, was linked to a broader classified initiative called GHOSTWOLF, described as a project to capture or eliminate key nodes in terrorist networks by focusing primarily on providing actionable geolocation intelligence derived from [surveillance] to customers and their operational components.. An environmental screening statement submitted as part of the planning application to Harrogate Borough Council says: "Due to the classified nature of the operations at the base, security is a prominent concern. The government housing team will provide you the latest information on the local housing situation as well as local laws governing off-base housing. Furnishings Management The three new radomes would be 21 metres (69ft) in diameter and located in the southern part of the site. [18], Planning permission was granted in August 2019 for the construction of three new radomes at the site, bringing the total number to thirty-seven. [15] In response to the article the NSA said "We do radio relays - material comes in from a variety of places and is rerouted. The outpost was built in the 1950s as part of a deal made by the British and American governments to house U.S. personnel and surveillance equipment. At the same time, the garrison hosted here is the 451-st Intelligence Squadron. See Furnishings Management for a list of the Duration of Tour Items available. The main mission on base is to monitor communications and provide intelligence support service to the UK and the US. [11] The first two radomes, designed to protect satellite receiver and transmission dishes (colloquially known as 'golf balls' and now synonymous with the station) were installed in 1974, at which point around 800 personnel were believed to work there. Video, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, Met Gala 2023: Stars celebrate Karl Lagerfeld, Shooting suspect was deported four times - US media, Photo of Princess Charlotte shared as she turns 8, King Charles to wear golden robes for Coronation, Yellen warns US could run out of cash in a month, More than 100 police hurt in French May Day protests, Street piano confiscated as public 'break rules'. This RAF Menwith Hill directory features the critical info youll need to navigate through the many facilities and recreational opportunities available on base. And were not being informed. It seems likely that its name is in fact ECHELON." Menwith Hills unique ability to track down satellite devices across the world at times placed it on the front line of conflicts thousands of miles away. Its huge and heavily protected acreage sits on rolling moorland in rural North Yorkshire outside the town of Harrogate. The modern Menwith Hill is a very different place. For years, Reprieve and others have sought clarification from the British government about the role of U.K. bases in the U.S. covert drone program, which has killed large numbers of civilians in countries where we are not at war, she told The Intercept. Find Raf menwith hill stock images in HD and millions of other royalty-free stock photos, illustrations and vectors in the Shutterstock collection. Rome2rio makes travelling from RAF Menwith Hill to Harrogate easy. The United States Army Security Agency established a high frequency radio monitoring capability, monitoring communications emanating from the Soviet Union, operating from 1958. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Initially named Field Station 8613, the site was renamed 13th USASA Field Station on 1 January 1957 and again renamed on 1 January 1959, as Menwith Hill Station. Personal Property Insurance In particular, there has been an attempt to establish whether the U.K. has aided U.S. drone bombings outside of declared war zones in countries including Yemen, Pakistan, and Somalia which have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians and are in some cases considered by United Nations officials to possibly constitute war crimes and violations of international law. Within the operations centre was the communications centre which was manned by cryptographers using deciphering equipment, however a large amount of the signals collected were encrypted before being forwarded for processing to the US National Security Agency's Fort Meade facility in Maryland. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk. The military base deals with intelligence and communication services. Successive U.K. governments have publicly stated that all activities at the base are carried out with the full knowledge and consent of British officials.
The NSA's British Base at the Heart of U.S. Targeted Killing The kind of reporting we do is essential to democracy, but it is not easy, cheap, or profitable. Once known only by the code name Field Station 8613, the secret base now called Menwith Hill Station is located about nine miles west of the small town of Harrogate in North Yorkshire.
Brixton (Station) to RAF Menwith Hill - 6 ways to travel via - Rome2rio In 2007, for instance, analysts at Menwith Hill used GHOSTHUNTER to help track down a suspected al Qaeda facilitator in Lebanon who was described as highly actionable, meaning he had been deemed a legitimate target to kill or capture. A number of other individual protests have also taken place, predominantly related to nuclear proliferation and strategic missile defense. The base "does not attract the kind of press attention lavished on RAF Menwith Hill to the north and long may that continue," one NSA employee wrote in a March 2005 article for SIDtoday . Moving to a new country can often be confusing and stressful; however, it can also be exciting. The MHO partners with landlords, realtors and property managers to make sure you receive the most current information about the local housing market. The Australian site is known as the Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap. Most of the worlds international phone calls, internet traffic, emails, and other communications are sent over a network of undersea cables that connect countries like giant arteries. How many covert wars, miscarriages of justice, and dystopian technologies would remain hidden if our reporters werent on the beat? [2], RAF Menwith Hill is owned by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), but made available to the US Department of Defense (DoD) under the NATO Status of Forces Agreement 1951 and other, undisclosed agreements between the US and British governments. What housing allowances am I eligible for? They confirmed that Menwith Hill was "linked directly to the headquarters of the US National Security Agency (NSA) at Fort Meade in Maryland. 2023 BBC. Though the base is officially called RAF Menwith Hill, most of the staff there are US employees of the NSA. It is located in the central part of the kingdom, in North Yorkshire. The MHO will assist you every step of the way to help you find your new home in the local community. - Providing translation services to establish appointmentsto view available units [6], During an interview with the Russian government funded broadcaster Russia Today in April 2012, Schofield alleged that Menwith Hill was "involved in drone attacks". Though the Snowden documents analyzed by The Intercept state that Menwith Hill has aided a significant number of capture-kill operations, they do not reveal specific details about all of the incidents that resulted in fatalities. The NSA referred a request for comment to the Director of National Intelligences office. As a matter of fact, RAF Menwith Hill was among the first sites in the world to benefit from the advanced IBM computers. A few days later, a special operations unit named Task Force-16 stormed two properties, where they detained Sayf, his father, two brothers, and five associates. In early 2012, Menwith Hills analysts were again called upon to track down a VSAT: this time, to assist British special forces in Afghanistans Helmand Province. Temporary Lodging Allowance (TLA) When you arrive at RAF Menwith Hill, you will be staying in temporary accommodations until you move into permanent quarters. Later, two additional cables were added over which telephone and other communications could go to and from the base. Over the last years, the hate towards the Americans reached new limits, as many demonstrators stormed the fence around the military bases. [19] Actions continue into 2006. He said: "The UKs providing a facility here thats involved in drone attacks that we know, from independent assessments, are killing and injuring thousands of civilians, and because of the covert nature of that warfare, its very difficult to provide information and accountability through the UK parliament. And yet these are acts of war. And for the last 16 years, its members have held a small demonstration every Tuesday outside the bases main entrance, greeting NSA employees with flags and colorful homemade banners bearing slogans critical of U.S. foreign policy and drone strikes. Royal Air Force (RAF) Menwith Hill is a Royal Air Force station in North Yorkshire, England. Analysts at Menwith Hill used GHOSTHUNTER to track down his location and spy satellites operated from the British base captured aerial images. RAF Menwith Hill Air Force Housing Welcome to RAF Menwith Hill Housing The Military Housing Office (MHO) is ready to support you in the transition to your new home and community. [Menwith Hill] still supplies about 99% of the FORNSAT data used in GHOSTHUNTER geolocations, noted a January 2008 document about the program. We were palmed off with platitudes and reassured that any U.S. activities on or involving British bases were fully compliant with domestic and international legal provisions. The site is one of three main sites operated by the United States across the globe as a major satellite monitoring station and intelligence gathering location. The NSA National Security Agency decided to take over the base. There is always a good selection of rental homes in local towns and villages. Plans submitted to Harrogate Borough Council would see major changes to the entrance, The listening base plays a role in US and UK intelligence gathering. And normally when we have war, parliament should normally inform people that were involved in those. The base went through a series of updates in order to fulfill its new mission. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? Fax: 01423 771508. A Gate at Menwith Hill Station prohibiting entrance on March 12, 2014. We dont have ads, so we depend on our members 35,000 and counting to help us hold the powerful to account. These cables were capable of transmitting over 100,000 phone calls simultaneously. Some of the extensive expansion work was visible from the road outside the secure complex, which triggered protests from a local activist group called the Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases. - Assisting in establishing utility services Find all the transport options for your trip from RAF Menwith Hill to Harrogate right here. The area purchased soon increased to 562 acres (227 hectares) and were made available by the British Government to the United States Department of Defense. At the same time, the base is part of a comprehensive ECHELON system. His Majesty's Government (HMG) is entitled to possession of the site and retains control over its use and its facilities, though the administration of the base is the responsibility of the US authorities,[1] with support provided by around 400 staff from Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), in addition to United States Air Force (USAF) and US National Security Agency (NSA) personnel. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. Members should use HEAT when preparing to transfer to their new assignment. It is said to be the widest and most important monitoring site in the world. on about your day, ask yourself: How likely is it that the story you just read would have been produced by a different news outlet if The Intercept hadnt done it?
44 Raf Menwith Hill Premium High Res Photos - Getty Images Although designated as an RAF station, It is made available to the United States Department of Defense (DOD) under the 1951 NATO Status of Forces Agreement and other classified arrangements.