Virtual Globetrotting: Covert http://virtualglobetrotting.com/ A great way to explore everything that can be seen from space! en-us Copyright 2008 admin@virtualglobetrotting.com admin@virtualglobetrotting.com Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:52:18 -0500 http://backend.userland.com/rss <![CDATA[Entrance to Burlington - Cold War Underground City]]> Entrance to Burlington - Cold War Underground City
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Entrance to Burlington - Cold War Underground City
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By: kjfitz
@ 2008-07-15 15:52:18
A 35 acre subterranean Cold War City that lies 1000 feet beneath Corsham. Built in the late 50s this massive city complex was designed by Government personnel in the event of a nuclear strike. A former Bath stone quarry the city, code named Burlington, was to be the site of the main Emergency Government War Headquarters - the hub of the Country's alternative seat of power outside London.

Over a kilometre in length, and boasting over 60 miles of roads. Blast proof and completely self-sufficient the secret underground site could accommodate up to 6,000 people, in complete isolation from the outside world, for up to three months.

An underground lake and treatment plant could provide all the drinking water needed whilst 12 huge tanks could store the fuel required to keep the four massive generators, in the underground power station, running for up to three months. And unlike most urban cities, above ground, the air within the complex could also be kept at a constant humidity and heated to around 20 degrees. The city was also equipped with the second largest telephone exchange in Britain, a BBC studio from which the PM could address the nation and an internal Lamson Tube system that could relay messages, using compressed air, throughout the complex. ]]> Entrance to Burlington - Cold War Underground City
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Entrance to Burlington - Cold War Underground City
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2008-07-15 15:52:18
A 35 acre subterranean Cold War City that lies 1000 feet beneath Corsham. Built in the late 50s this massive city complex was designed by Government personnel in the event of a nuclear strike. A former Bath stone quarry the city, code named Burlington, was to be the site of the main Emergency Government War Headquarters - the hub of the Country's alternative seat of power outside London.

Over a kilometre in length, and boasting over 60 miles of roads. Blast proof and completely self-sufficient the secret underground site could accommodate up to 6,000 people, in complete isolation from the outside world, for up to three months.

An underground lake and treatment plant could provide all the drinking water needed whilst 12 huge tanks could store the fuel required to keep the four massive generators, in the underground power station, running for up to three months. And unlike most urban cities, above ground, the air within the complex could also be kept at a constant humidity and heated to around 20 degrees. The city was also equipped with the second largest telephone exchange in Britain, a BBC studio from which the PM could address the nation and an internal Lamson Tube system that could relay messages, using compressed air, throughout the complex. ]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/53197/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/53197/ Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:52:18 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/53197/ 51.41988800 -2.22044500 <![CDATA[Runway Emerging From a Mountain]]> Runway Emerging From a Mountain
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Runway Emerging From a Mountain
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By: Parabellum
@ 2008-05-18 16:02:08]]> Runway Emerging From a Mountain
2 CommentsView in Google Maps
Runway Emerging From a Mountain
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: Parabellum
@ 2008-05-18 16:02:08]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/50312/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/50312/ Sun, 18 May 2008 16:02:08 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/50312/ 39.09045900 127.40952000 <![CDATA[Chinese secret nuclear submarine base]]> Chinese secret nuclear submarine base
2 CommentsMultiple thumbnailsView in Google Maps
Chinese secret nuclear submarine base
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By: neotrix
@ 2008-05-02 16:07:18
China has secretly built a major underground nuclear submarine base that could threaten Asian countries and challenge American power in the region, it can be disclosed.
Satellite imagery, passed to The Daily Telegraph, shows that a substantial harbour has been built which could house a score of nuclear ballistic missile submarines and a host of aircraft carriers.

more info in the "more info" link]]> Chinese secret nuclear submarine base
2 CommentsMultiple thumbnailsView in Google Maps
Chinese secret nuclear submarine base
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: neotrix
@ 2008-05-02 16:07:18
China has secretly built a major underground nuclear submarine base that could threaten Asian countries and challenge American power in the region, it can be disclosed.
Satellite imagery, passed to The Daily Telegraph, shows that a substantial harbour has been built which could house a score of nuclear ballistic missile submarines and a host of aircraft carriers.

more info in the "more info" link]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/49790/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/49790/ Fri, 02 May 2008 16:07:18 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/49790/ 18.21850800 109.69702700 <![CDATA[Predator drone at remote test strip]]> Predator drone at remote test strip
6 CommentsView in Google Maps
Predator drone at remote test strip
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By: Pdunn
@ 2008-02-12 05:56:27
Quoted from the link below:
The MQ-1 Predator is a medium-altitude, long-endurance, remotely piloted aircraft. The MQ-1's primary mission is interdiction and conducting armed reconnaissance against critical, perishable targets. When the MQ-1 is not actively pursuing its primary mission, it acts as the Joint Forces Air Component Commander-owned theater asset for reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition in support of the Joint Forces commander.
]]> Predator drone at remote test strip
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Predator drone at remote test strip
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: Pdunn
@ 2008-02-12 05:56:27
Quoted from the link below:
The MQ-1 Predator is a medium-altitude, long-endurance, remotely piloted aircraft. The MQ-1's primary mission is interdiction and conducting armed reconnaissance against critical, perishable targets. When the MQ-1 is not actively pursuing its primary mission, it acts as the Joint Forces Air Component Commander-owned theater asset for reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition in support of the Joint Forces commander.
]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/45500/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/45500/ Tue, 12 Feb 2008 05:56:27 -0600 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/45500/ 34.62298915 -117.60003805 <![CDATA[Stealth prototype undergoing radar cross-section testing]]> Stealth prototype undergoing radar cross-section testing
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Stealth prototype undergoing radar cross-section testing
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: Pdunn
@ 2008-02-11 05:56:34
From the link below:
"The Helendale Radar Cross Section Facility is an aircraft research facility developed and operated by the Lockheed Martin Corporation. It is a secretive test range developed at an old WWII training field, used to measure the radar reflectivity of stealth aircraft designs. There are assembly facilities located underneath the old runway, and prototypical forms tested outside on the range are mounted on hydraulic pylons that rise out of the ground through doors in the runway surface. The facility is one of at least three Radar Cross-Section facilities owned by the major aerospace companies and located in the Antelope Valley area. It is at facilities such as this where stealth technologies, like the F-117 and B-2, and Joint Strike Fighter are developed."]]> Stealth prototype undergoing radar cross-section testing
2 CommentsView in Yahoo Maps
Stealth prototype undergoing radar cross-section testing
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: Pdunn
@ 2008-02-11 05:56:34
From the link below:
"The Helendale Radar Cross Section Facility is an aircraft research facility developed and operated by the Lockheed Martin Corporation. It is a secretive test range developed at an old WWII training field, used to measure the radar reflectivity of stealth aircraft designs. There are assembly facilities located underneath the old runway, and prototypical forms tested outside on the range are mounted on hydraulic pylons that rise out of the ground through doors in the runway surface. The facility is one of at least three Radar Cross-Section facilities owned by the major aerospace companies and located in the Antelope Valley area. It is at facilities such as this where stealth technologies, like the F-117 and B-2, and Joint Strike Fighter are developed."]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/45397/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/45397/ Mon, 11 Feb 2008 05:56:34 -0600 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/45397/ 34.81480748 -117.29742050 <![CDATA[Stealth prototypes awaiting radar cross-section tests]]> Stealth prototypes awaiting radar cross-section tests
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Stealth prototypes awaiting radar cross-section tests
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: Pdunn
@ 2008-02-10 20:59:35
From the link below:
" The Helendale Radar Cross Section Facility is an aircraft research facility developed and operated by the Lockheed Martin Corporation. It is a secretive test range developed at an old WWII training field, used to measure the radar reflectivity of stealth aircraft designs. There are assembly facilities located underneath the old runway, and prototypical forms tested outside on the range are mounted on hydraulic pylons that rise out of the ground through doors in the runway surface. The facility is one of at least three Radar Cross-Section facilities owned by the major aerospace companies and located in the Antelope Valley area. It is at facilities such as this where stealth technologies, like the F-117 and B-2, and Joint Strike Fighter are developed."]]> Stealth prototypes awaiting radar cross-section tests
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Stealth prototypes awaiting radar cross-section tests
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: Pdunn
@ 2008-02-10 20:59:35
From the link below:
" The Helendale Radar Cross Section Facility is an aircraft research facility developed and operated by the Lockheed Martin Corporation. It is a secretive test range developed at an old WWII training field, used to measure the radar reflectivity of stealth aircraft designs. There are assembly facilities located underneath the old runway, and prototypical forms tested outside on the range are mounted on hydraulic pylons that rise out of the ground through doors in the runway surface. The facility is one of at least three Radar Cross-Section facilities owned by the major aerospace companies and located in the Antelope Valley area. It is at facilities such as this where stealth technologies, like the F-117 and B-2, and Joint Strike Fighter are developed."]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/45380/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/45380/ Sun, 10 Feb 2008 20:59:35 -0600 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/45380/ 34.81063300 -117.29969600 <![CDATA[RC-135 Rivet Joint in flight]]> RC-135 Rivet Joint in flight
LL-BEVView in Live Local
RC-135 Rivet Joint in flight
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: Pdunn
@ 2008-01-21 20:59:12
From the link below:
The USAF RC-135V/W RIVET JOINT surveillance aircraft are equipped with an extensive array of sophisticated intelligence gathering equipment enabling military specialists to monitor the electronic activity of adversaries. Also known as "RJ", the aircraft are sometimes called "hogs" due to the extended "hog nose" and "hog cheeks". RIVET JOINT has been widely used in the 1990's -- during Desert Storm, the occupation of Haiti, and most recently over Bosnia. Using automated and manual equipment, electronic and intelligence specialists can precisely locate, record and analyse much of what is being done in the electromagnetic spectrum.

The fleet of 14 RIVET JOINT aircraft increased to 15 in late 1999 with the addition of a converted C-135B. The jet's conversion cost about $90 million. The Rivet Joint fleet is currently undergoing significant airframe, navigational and powerplant upgrades which include re-engining from the TF-33 to the CFM-56 engines used on the KC-135R and upgrade of the flight deck instrumentation and navigational systems to the AMP standard. The AMP standard includes conversion from analog readouts to a digital “glass cockpit” configuration. ]]> RC-135 Rivet Joint in flight
LL-BEVView in Live Local
RC-135 Rivet Joint in flight
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: Pdunn
@ 2008-01-21 20:59:12
From the link below:
The USAF RC-135V/W RIVET JOINT surveillance aircraft are equipped with an extensive array of sophisticated intelligence gathering equipment enabling military specialists to monitor the electronic activity of adversaries. Also known as "RJ", the aircraft are sometimes called "hogs" due to the extended "hog nose" and "hog cheeks". RIVET JOINT has been widely used in the 1990's -- during Desert Storm, the occupation of Haiti, and most recently over Bosnia. Using automated and manual equipment, electronic and intelligence specialists can precisely locate, record and analyse much of what is being done in the electromagnetic spectrum.

The fleet of 14 RIVET JOINT aircraft increased to 15 in late 1999 with the addition of a converted C-135B. The jet's conversion cost about $90 million. The Rivet Joint fleet is currently undergoing significant airframe, navigational and powerplant upgrades which include re-engining from the TF-33 to the CFM-56 engines used on the KC-135R and upgrade of the flight deck instrumentation and navigational systems to the AMP standard. The AMP standard includes conversion from analog readouts to a digital “glass cockpit” configuration. ]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/44059/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/44059/ Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:59:12 -0600 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/44059/ 41.12487900 -95.91856200 <![CDATA[Griesheim ECHELON sigint site]]> Griesheim ECHELON sigint site
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Griesheim ECHELON sigint site
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2008-01-16 17:48:37
Moved here from Bad Aibling in 2007.

ECHELON is a name used in global media and in popular culture to describe a signals intelligence collection and analysis network operated on behalf of the five signatory states to the UKUSA agreement; Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, known as AUSCANZUKUS.]]> Griesheim ECHELON sigint site
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Griesheim ECHELON sigint site
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2008-01-16 17:48:37
Moved here from Bad Aibling in 2007.

ECHELON is a name used in global media and in popular culture to describe a signals intelligence collection and analysis network operated on behalf of the five signatory states to the UKUSA agreement; Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, known as AUSCANZUKUS.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/43772/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/43772/ Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:48:37 -0600 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/43772/ 49.85578000 8.58674300 <![CDATA[Kojarena SIGINT Station]]> Kojarena SIGINT Station
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Kojarena SIGINT Station
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By: kjfitz
@ 2008-01-16 17:44:07
The Australian Defence Satellite Communications Station (ADSCS) is located at Kojarena, near Geraldton. The ADSCS is part of the US signals intelligence and analysis network ECHELON. The station has four satellite tracking dishes which intercept communications from Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Pakistani regional satellites[1] and international communications satellites (INTELSATs and COMSATs), throughout the Indian Ocean and South-East Asian regions. Staff are drawn from the American National Security Agency and the Australian Defence Signals Directorate, and the site is operated under the UKUSA Agreement ]]> Kojarena SIGINT Station
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Kojarena SIGINT Station
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2008-01-16 17:44:07
The Australian Defence Satellite Communications Station (ADSCS) is located at Kojarena, near Geraldton. The ADSCS is part of the US signals intelligence and analysis network ECHELON. The station has four satellite tracking dishes which intercept communications from Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Pakistani regional satellites[1] and international communications satellites (INTELSATs and COMSATs), throughout the Indian Ocean and South-East Asian regions. Staff are drawn from the American National Security Agency and the Australian Defence Signals Directorate, and the site is operated under the UKUSA Agreement ]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/43771/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/43771/ Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:44:07 -0600 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/43771/ -28.69513300 114.84198700 <![CDATA[Shoal Bay Australian Intelligence Service ELINT station]]> Shoal Bay Australian Intelligence Service ELINT station
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Shoal Bay Australian Intelligence Service ELINT station
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2007-12-08 15:33:42]]> Shoal Bay Australian Intelligence Service ELINT station
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Shoal Bay Australian Intelligence Service ELINT station
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2007-12-08 15:33:42]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/41908/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/41908/ Sat, 08 Dec 2007 15:33:42 -0600 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/41908/ -12.35883000 130.98215300 <![CDATA[Interior Department Bomb Shelter]]> Interior Department Bomb Shelter
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Interior Department Bomb Shelter
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By: kjfitz
@ 2007-11-24 17:13:18
A bomb shelter is located under the lawn north of the National Park Service's Stephen P. Mather Training Center, formerly Storer College, off Fillmore Street in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. The history of the shelter is still being investigated, but available information indicates that it was an emergency relocation site for Department of the Interior headquarters and the Secretary of the Interior.

Personnel access to the shelter is through a metal door, apparently of standard commercial design, set into a retaining wall adjacent to the driveway serving the Training Center's parking lot. There is no vehicular entrance to the shelter, only a parking space in front of the entrance.

The space is now used by the NPS Interpretive Design Center.]]> Interior Department Bomb Shelter
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Interior Department Bomb Shelter
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2007-11-24 17:13:18
A bomb shelter is located under the lawn north of the National Park Service's Stephen P. Mather Training Center, formerly Storer College, off Fillmore Street in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. The history of the shelter is still being investigated, but available information indicates that it was an emergency relocation site for Department of the Interior headquarters and the Secretary of the Interior.

Personnel access to the shelter is through a metal door, apparently of standard commercial design, set into a retaining wall adjacent to the driveway serving the Training Center's parking lot. There is no vehicular entrance to the shelter, only a parking space in front of the entrance.

The space is now used by the NPS Interpretive Design Center.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/41344/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/41344/ Sat, 24 Nov 2007 17:13:18 -0600 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/41344/ 39.32416900 -77.74130200 <![CDATA[Sand-colored MiG in Syria]]> Sand-colored MiG in Syria
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Sand-colored MiG in Syria
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By: Pdunn
@ 2007-10-25 12:41:53]]> Sand-colored MiG in Syria
View in Google Maps
Sand-colored MiG in Syria
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: Pdunn
@ 2007-10-25 12:41:53]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/40191/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/40191/ Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:41:53 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/40191/ 33.61651300 36.74879000 <![CDATA[Possible nerve center of the NSA domestic spying program]]> Possible nerve center of the NSA domestic spying program
LL-BEVView in Live Local
Possible nerve center of the NSA domestic spying program
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By: kjfitz
@ 2007-08-14 13:10:05
In 2003, Room 641A of a large telecommunications building in downtown San Francisco was filled with powerful data-mining equipment for a "special job" by the National Security Agency, according to a former AT&T technician. It was fed by fiber-optic cables that siphoned copies of e-mails and other online traffic from one of the largest Internet hubs in the United States, the former employee says in court filings.

Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 14, 2007; Page A01]]> Possible nerve center of the NSA domestic spying program
LL-BEVView in Live Local
Possible nerve center of the NSA domestic spying program
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2007-08-14 13:10:05
In 2003, Room 641A of a large telecommunications building in downtown San Francisco was filled with powerful data-mining equipment for a "special job" by the National Security Agency, according to a former AT&T technician. It was fed by fiber-optic cables that siphoned copies of e-mails and other online traffic from one of the largest Internet hubs in the United States, the former employee says in court filings.

Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 14, 2007; Page A01]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/36756/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/36756/ Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:10:05 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/36756/ 37.78459600 -122.39649800 <![CDATA[U-2 Spyplane Under Cover]]> U-2 Spyplane Under Cover
LL-BEVView in Live Local
U-2 Spyplane Under Cover
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By: Pdunn
@ 2007-06-30 14:07:40]]> U-2 Spyplane Under Cover
LL-BEVView in Live Local
U-2 Spyplane Under Cover
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: Pdunn
@ 2007-06-30 14:07:40]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/34809/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/34809/ Sat, 30 Jun 2007 14:07:40 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/34809/ 32.13142000 -110.94754000 <![CDATA[Trowood - Nuclear command bunker & regional seat of government]]> Trowood - Nuclear command bunker & regional seat of government
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Trowood - Nuclear command bunker & regional seat of government
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By: kjfitz
@ 2007-04-15 23:58:18]]> Trowood - Nuclear command bunker & regional seat of government
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Trowood - Nuclear command bunker & regional seat of government
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By: kjfitz
@ 2007-04-15 23:58:18]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31828/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31828/ Sun, 15 Apr 2007 23:58:18 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31828/ 56.27035600 -2.69775500 <![CDATA[Hack Green - Nuclear command bunker & regional seat of government]]> Hack Green - Nuclear command bunker & regional seat of government
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Hack Green - Nuclear command bunker & regional seat of government
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2007-04-15 23:55:15
The Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker is a former government-owned nuclear bunker located at Hack Green, Cheshire, England.

The first military use of the area was in World War II, when a Starfish decoy site was established at Hack Green. Its purpose was to confuse Luftwaffe bombers looking for the vital railway junction at Crewe.

A Ground-Controlled Intercept (GCI) radar station was added.

In the 1950s, the site was modernised as part of the ROTOR project. This included the provision of a substantial semi-sunk reinforced concrete bunker or blockhouse (type R6).

The station, officially designated RAF Hack Green, was also known as Mersey Radar. It provided an air traffic control service to military aircraft crossing civil airspace.

The site was abandoned and remained derelict for many years, until the Home Office took it over. They rebuilt the R6 bunker as a Regional Government Headquarters (RGHQs) - one of a network of 17 such sites throughout the UK - designed to enable government to continue in the aftermath of a major nuclear attack on the UK.

In about 1992, following the end of the Cold War, the Home Office abandoned its network of RGHQs and sold many of the sites. This one was bought by a private company and subsequently opened to the public in 1998 as a museum with a Cold War theme.]]> Hack Green - Nuclear command bunker & regional seat of government
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Hack Green - Nuclear command bunker & regional seat of government
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2007-04-15 23:55:15
The Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker is a former government-owned nuclear bunker located at Hack Green, Cheshire, England.

The first military use of the area was in World War II, when a Starfish decoy site was established at Hack Green. Its purpose was to confuse Luftwaffe bombers looking for the vital railway junction at Crewe.

A Ground-Controlled Intercept (GCI) radar station was added.

In the 1950s, the site was modernised as part of the ROTOR project. This included the provision of a substantial semi-sunk reinforced concrete bunker or blockhouse (type R6).

The station, officially designated RAF Hack Green, was also known as Mersey Radar. It provided an air traffic control service to military aircraft crossing civil airspace.

The site was abandoned and remained derelict for many years, until the Home Office took it over. They rebuilt the R6 bunker as a Regional Government Headquarters (RGHQs) - one of a network of 17 such sites throughout the UK - designed to enable government to continue in the aftermath of a major nuclear attack on the UK.

In about 1992, following the end of the Cold War, the Home Office abandoned its network of RGHQs and sold many of the sites. This one was bought by a private company and subsequently opened to the public in 1998 as a museum with a Cold War theme.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31827/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31827/ Sun, 15 Apr 2007 23:55:15 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31827/ 53.02671300 -2.52780500 <![CDATA[Kelvedon - Nuclear command bunker & regional seat of government]]> Kelvedon - Nuclear command bunker & regional seat of government
LL-BEVView in Live Local
Kelvedon - Nuclear command bunker & regional seat of government
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By: kjfitz
@ 2007-04-15 23:50:15]]> Kelvedon - Nuclear command bunker & regional seat of government
LL-BEVView in Live Local
Kelvedon - Nuclear command bunker & regional seat of government
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2007-04-15 23:50:15]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31826/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31826/ Sun, 15 Apr 2007 23:50:15 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31826/ 51.67183000 0.25646200 <![CDATA[Backup AL Digital Bunker at RAF Bawdsey]]> Backup AL Digital Bunker at RAF Bawdsey
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Backup AL Digital Bunker at RAF Bawdsey
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By: kjfitz
@ 2007-04-15 23:40:39
Yet another ex-MoD bunker in a "safe" rural location at RAF Bawdsey, an old radar station near Woodbridge and Felixstowe in Suffolk, was also purchased by AL Digital and considered for use as a third "server farm", but the current status of this is unclear.
[www.secret-bases.co.uk]]]> Backup AL Digital Bunker at RAF Bawdsey
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Backup AL Digital Bunker at RAF Bawdsey
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2007-04-15 23:40:39
Yet another ex-MoD bunker in a "safe" rural location at RAF Bawdsey, an old radar station near Woodbridge and Felixstowe in Suffolk, was also purchased by AL Digital and considered for use as a third "server farm", but the current status of this is unclear.
[www.secret-bases.co.uk]]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31824/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31824/ Sun, 15 Apr 2007 23:40:39 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31824/ 51.99540000 1.41160000 <![CDATA[AL Digital Telecoms bunker at RAF Ash]]> AL Digital Telecoms bunker at RAF Ash
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AL Digital Telecoms bunker at RAF Ash
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By: kjfitz
@ 2007-04-15 23:38:09
Adam and Ben Laurie have transformed their telecoms company into The Bunker™, which provides a secure data centre along the same lines as that of Centrinet. Whilst their primary data centre is at the RAF Ash site, a secondary one is situated in the hardened command bunker within the former USAF/RAF Greenham Common airbase near Newbury in Berkshire, most of which has been converted into the New Greenham Park industrial estate.

Incidentally, right next door you can still spot the old Ground Launched Cruise Missile (GLCM) Alert and Maintenance Area (GAMA) - specially constructed silos designed to (hopefully) withstand both nuclear and conventional direct strikes.
[www.secret-bases.co.uk]]]> AL Digital Telecoms bunker at RAF Ash
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AL Digital Telecoms bunker at RAF Ash
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2007-04-15 23:38:09
Adam and Ben Laurie have transformed their telecoms company into The Bunker™, which provides a secure data centre along the same lines as that of Centrinet. Whilst their primary data centre is at the RAF Ash site, a secondary one is situated in the hardened command bunker within the former USAF/RAF Greenham Common airbase near Newbury in Berkshire, most of which has been converted into the New Greenham Park industrial estate.

Incidentally, right next door you can still spot the old Ground Launched Cruise Missile (GLCM) Alert and Maintenance Area (GAMA) - specially constructed silos designed to (hopefully) withstand both nuclear and conventional direct strikes.
[www.secret-bases.co.uk]]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31823/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31823/ Sun, 15 Apr 2007 23:38:09 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31823/ 51.27095900 1.29548300 <![CDATA[Centrinet bunker at RAF/RGHQ Skendleby]]> Centrinet bunker at RAF/RGHQ Skendleby
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Centrinet bunker at RAF/RGHQ Skendleby
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2007-04-15 23:36:22
As reported by BBC News at the time of the sale in 2003, the decommissioned emergency command bunker - for use by military chiefs of staff and Government officials in the event of nuclear war - was snapped-up for £400,000 by a specialist computer data security company, Centrinet, with its global operations centre in Lincoln. [www.secret-bases.co.uk]]]> Centrinet bunker at RAF/RGHQ Skendleby
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Centrinet bunker at RAF/RGHQ Skendleby
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2007-04-15 23:36:22
As reported by BBC News at the time of the sale in 2003, the decommissioned emergency command bunker - for use by military chiefs of staff and Government officials in the event of nuclear war - was snapped-up for £400,000 by a specialist computer data security company, Centrinet, with its global operations centre in Lincoln. [www.secret-bases.co.uk]]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31822/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31822/ Sun, 15 Apr 2007 23:36:22 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31822/ 53.21541800 0.15722800 <![CDATA[Symantec's bunker]]> Symantec's bunker
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Symantec's bunker
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2007-04-15 23:32:48
The facility houses Symantec's UK Managed Security Service (MSS) team whose main task is to filter and monitor data fed back from customers' intrusion prevention systems (IPSs), firewalls and intrusion detection systems (IDSs). [www.secret-bases.co.uk]]]> Symantec's bunker
LL-BEVView in Live Local
Symantec's bunker
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2007-04-15 23:32:48
The facility houses Symantec's UK Managed Security Service (MSS) team whose main task is to filter and monitor data fed back from customers' intrusion prevention systems (IPSs), firewalls and intrusion detection systems (IDSs). [www.secret-bases.co.uk]]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31821/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31821/ Sun, 15 Apr 2007 23:32:48 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31821/ 51.01488500 -1.29937200 <![CDATA[Joint Maritime Facility (JMF) underground bunker]]> Joint Maritime Facility (JMF) underground bunker
View in Google Maps
Joint Maritime Facility (JMF) underground bunker
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2007-04-15 23:29:33
Joint Maritime Facility (JMF) - a huge underground US/UK Navy "listening" bunker, which has been responsible for tracking submarines and surface ships out in the North Atlantic ocean. The JMF is sometimes also referred to as the Terminal Exchange Building (TEB).
[www.secret-bases.co.uk]]]> Joint Maritime Facility (JMF) underground bunker
View in Google Maps
Joint Maritime Facility (JMF) underground bunker
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2007-04-15 23:29:33
Joint Maritime Facility (JMF) - a huge underground US/UK Navy "listening" bunker, which has been responsible for tracking submarines and surface ships out in the North Atlantic ocean. The JMF is sometimes also referred to as the Terminal Exchange Building (TEB).
[www.secret-bases.co.uk]]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31820/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31820/ Sun, 15 Apr 2007 23:29:33 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31820/ 50.43842300 -5.00644000 <![CDATA[Covert spy station]]> Covert spy station
1 CommentsView in Live Local
Covert spy station
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2007-04-15 23:26:26
Very important spy centre can be found at the unassuming location of Irton Moor, near the quaint seaside town of Scarborough. Back bench MPs in successive governments have failed gloriously in trying to find out precisely what goes on at this base, which MI5/6 operatives refer to as simply "Scarborough".

The 1:25000 OS map gives the full detail and labels it with the rather romantic title "Wireless Station". It dates back to the very early pre-WWII days of GCHQ, when that was known as the Government Codes and Ciphers School (GC&CS). Irton Moor is sometimes referred to as a Composite Signals Organisation (CSO) station.
[www.secret-bases.co.uk]]]> Covert spy station
1 CommentsView in Live Local
Covert spy station
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2007-04-15 23:26:26
Very important spy centre can be found at the unassuming location of Irton Moor, near the quaint seaside town of Scarborough. Back bench MPs in successive governments have failed gloriously in trying to find out precisely what goes on at this base, which MI5/6 operatives refer to as simply "Scarborough".

The 1:25000 OS map gives the full detail and labels it with the rather romantic title "Wireless Station". It dates back to the very early pre-WWII days of GCHQ, when that was known as the Government Codes and Ciphers School (GC&CS). Irton Moor is sometimes referred to as a Composite Signals Organisation (CSO) station.
[www.secret-bases.co.uk]]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31819/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31819/ Sun, 15 Apr 2007 23:26:26 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31819/ 54.26740000 -0.44670000 <![CDATA[Tower used by UK to tap into all calls to the Irish Republic]]> Tower used by UK to tap into all calls to the Irish Republic
1 CommentsView in Live Local
Tower used by UK to tap into all calls to the Irish Republic
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2007-04-15 23:16:53
The Capenhurst Tower was installed by GCHQ to scoop up all telecommunications between the UK and the Irish Republic from 1989 until 1998.

The microwave beam from the BT cable under the Irish Sea, originated at BT's microwave towers at Holyhead on the Isle of Anglesey.

It continued through the BT towers at Gwaenysgor near Prestatyn in North Wales, Pale Heights near Kelsall in Cheshire on the edge of Delamere Forest and at Sutton Common near Macclesfield, Cheshire. It then joined up with the rest of the network down to the world famous landmark BT Tower in London.
[www.secret-bases.co.uk]]]> Tower used by UK to tap into all calls to the Irish Republic
1 CommentsView in Live Local
Tower used by UK to tap into all calls to the Irish Republic
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2007-04-15 23:16:53
The Capenhurst Tower was installed by GCHQ to scoop up all telecommunications between the UK and the Irish Republic from 1989 until 1998.

The microwave beam from the BT cable under the Irish Sea, originated at BT's microwave towers at Holyhead on the Isle of Anglesey.

It continued through the BT towers at Gwaenysgor near Prestatyn in North Wales, Pale Heights near Kelsall in Cheshire on the edge of Delamere Forest and at Sutton Common near Macclesfield, Cheshire. It then joined up with the rest of the network down to the world famous landmark BT Tower in London.
[www.secret-bases.co.uk]]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31816/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31816/ Sun, 15 Apr 2007 23:16:53 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31816/ 53.26071400 -2.95466800 <![CDATA[Black T-38 Talon and admirers]]> Black T-38 Talon and admirers
LL-BEVMultiple thumbnailsView in Live Local
Black T-38 Talon and admirers
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: Pdunn
@ 2007-04-04 14:16:47
Black T-38s are flown exclusively by F-117 and U-2 pilots for proficiency training.]]> Black T-38 Talon and admirers
LL-BEVMultiple thumbnailsView in Live Local
Black T-38 Talon and admirers
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: Pdunn
@ 2007-04-04 14:16:47
Black T-38s are flown exclusively by F-117 and U-2 pilots for proficiency training.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31334/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31334/ Wed, 04 Apr 2007 14:16:47 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/31334/ 32.38187800 -86.35551200 <![CDATA[Glienicke Bridge a.k.a. 'Bridge of Spies']]> Glienicke Bridge a.k.a. 'Bridge of Spies'
LL-BEVView in Live Local
Glienicke Bridge a.k.a. 'Bridge of Spies'
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: mlc1us
@ 2007-03-12 17:38:10
Bridge on which prisoners were exchanged during the cold war, including Gary Powers.]]> Glienicke Bridge a.k.a. 'Bridge of Spies'
LL-BEVView in Live Local
Glienicke Bridge a.k.a. 'Bridge of Spies'
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: mlc1us
@ 2007-03-12 17:38:10
Bridge on which prisoners were exchanged during the cold war, including Gary Powers.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/30305/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/30305/ Mon, 12 Mar 2007 17:38:10 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/30305/ 52.41374200 13.09005700 <![CDATA[Antenna System]]> Antenna System
2 CommentsView in Google Maps
Antenna System
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: Miracoolix
@ 2007-01-16 16:13:52
This is a huge Antenna for Signal Intelligence]]> Antenna System
2 CommentsView in Google Maps
Antenna System
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: Miracoolix
@ 2007-01-16 16:13:52
This is a huge Antenna for Signal Intelligence]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/28297/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/28297/ Tue, 16 Jan 2007 16:13:52 -0600 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/28297/ 50.21400100 6.81506400 <![CDATA[Sudanese hill-top radar site]]> Sudanese hill-top radar site
View in Google Maps
Sudanese hill-top radar site
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: Pdunn
@ 2007-01-15 14:06:21
This appears to be a man-made mountain, built over an earlier air strip. There are a number of berms protecting adits or openings into the mountain-side.]]> Sudanese hill-top radar site
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Sudanese hill-top radar site
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: Pdunn
@ 2007-01-15 14:06:21
This appears to be a man-made mountain, built over an earlier air strip. There are a number of berms protecting adits or openings into the mountain-side.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/28283/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/28283/ Mon, 15 Jan 2007 14:06:21 -0600 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/28283/ 15.78031400 32.50794400 <![CDATA[Camp Le Monier]]> Camp Le Monier
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Camp Le Monier
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: jbottero
@ 2007-01-04 17:46:56
Former French Air Force facility, now used mostly by US Special Forces and the CIA. ]]> Camp Le Monier
View in Google Maps
Camp Le Monier
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: jbottero
@ 2007-01-04 17:46:56
Former French Air Force facility, now used mostly by US Special Forces and the CIA. ]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/28001/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/28001/ Thu, 04 Jan 2007 17:46:56 -0600 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/28001/ 11.54384900 43.14798800 <![CDATA[The Shadows Tell The Story]]> The Shadows Tell The Story
LL-BEV3 CommentsView in Live Local
The Shadows Tell The Story
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: Pdunn
@ 2006-11-15 19:51:12]]> The Shadows Tell The Story
LL-BEV3 CommentsView in Live Local
The Shadows Tell The Story
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: Pdunn
@ 2006-11-15 19:51:12]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/25980/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/25980/ Wed, 15 Nov 2006 19:51:12 -0600 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/25980/ 34.56423900 -117.68162200 <![CDATA[General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (Predator-B)]]> General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (Predator-B)
LL-BEV8 CommentsView in Live Local
General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (Predator-B)
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: Pdunn
@ 2006-11-15 19:31:29]]> General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (Predator-B)
LL-BEV8 CommentsView in Live Local
General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (Predator-B)
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: Pdunn
@ 2006-11-15 19:31:29]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/25979/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/25979/ Wed, 15 Nov 2006 19:31:29 -0600 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/25979/ 34.56530000 -117.68039600 <![CDATA[Secret U.S. Navy Site]]> Secret U.S. Navy Site
1 PicsMultiple thumbnailsView in Google Maps
Secret U.S. Navy Site
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: jsmjr
@ 2006-10-09 13:26:19
Mysterious 4-acre complex described as work a "utility assessment and upgrade" conducted by U.S. Navy under temporary structures at Ohio Drive SW and Buckeye Drive SW

See Washington Post, November 26, 2004, Pg. B1

Navy Keeps A Secret In Plain Sight

Hush-Hush Project Underway by Potomac

By Spencer S. Hsu, Washington Post Staff Writer

Shortly after dawn on a recent morning, two dump trucks and a water tanker pulled up to a new, unmarked complex of buildings at East Potomac Park, the grassy peninsula near the Jefferson Memorial. The drivers exited their cabs, knocked at a gatehouse with blacked-out windows and waited for a security guard to emerge from behind a locked door.

A few minutes later, a panel of 10-foot-high security fence slid open, and the trucks disappeared inside, leaving the joggers and cyclists along the waterfront none the wiser about their mission.

What goes on beyond the fence is a mystery. The multi-agency review normally required to erect anything on federal parkland did not apply to the beige, metal buildings. The Navy, which operates the site at Ohio and Buckeye drives SW, calls the work a "utility assessment and upgrade" and volunteers nothing more.

"As a matter of policy, we can't go into the particulars," said a Navy spokesman, Lt. Cmdr. Joseph A. Surette.

Frederick J. Lindstrom, acting secretary of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, said it is illegal for him to discuss the matter. He did say the Navy started the work without seeking review from the commission, which oversees the city's Potomac River parklands.

"Let's just say when they're finished, you'll be glad they've done what they've done," Lindstrom said.

Amid the secrecy, theories abound about the four-acre complex, which is dead center in a ring that includes the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon, Reagan National Airport and the National War College. Is it a sophisticated sensor station, guarding the 14th Street bridge and other Potomac River crossings? Is it an excavation point for underwater barriers to protect the Washington Channel and Potomac River from submarines? Is it a staging area for Navy Seabees securing underwater cables between the White House and the Pentagon, across the river?

Whatever the case, in a capital where concrete barriers and police roadblocks have become a common and often grating part of city life since Sept. 11, 2001, the Navy compound represents a more ambiguous side to security. It is visible and obscure, hidden in plain sight, billed as temporary but expected to last for years.

And it joins a network of things large and small erected to protect the capital. Wind and radiation tracking instruments sit atop the Federal Reserve. Biowarfare sensors sniff the air in front of the Smithsonian Institution. Antiaircraft systems have been spotted on a rooftop next to the White House and on a Prince George's County riverbank, across the Potomac from Mount Vernon.

For its part, the Navy began work unobtrusively about a year ago on its site near Hains Point, a recreation area known best for its golf course, fishing and "The Awakening," J. Seward Johnson Jr.'s giant sculpture.

The Navy took over the National Park Service land without any announcement. When the agencies that oversee the Mall caught up with the project months later, the hangar-like structures, which cover an excavation area, were visible from Interstate 395.

The agencies' only recourse was to ask the Justice Department to sue the Pentagon. Lindstrom said that was deemed not an option.

After inquiries, senior officials at the Fine Arts Commission and the National Capital Planning Commission were briefed about the security-sensitive project and sworn to silence. The staffs of both commissions, which review many federal agency security requests, were bypassed, and no paper trail was produced.

"The project's sponsors felt it wasn't necessary to bring it to these agencies for their review," Lindstrom said. "It's not quite right -- they should have -- but in hindsight, they did discuss the building and the project and essentially what's entailed there."

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), who has criticized federal security projects for encroaching on life in the District, seldom lets slip an opportunity to make her point. In this case, however, Norton "is aware of what's going on but cannot comment," spokeswoman Doxie McCoy said.

A spokeswoman for the planning commission, Lisa MacSpadden, referred questions to Surette, the Navy spokesman. Surette would not say whether the project is classified or whether it had a name. Nor would he say how much it cost, how many people were on the job or why it was needed. He did say that work under the temporary structures would last about four years, that it complied with local and federal safety and environmental laws and that it would have no impact on traffic.

Mall preservationists say they appreciate the Navy's assurances -- as well as its efforts to protect the nation -- but decry the lack of oversight and public meetings by watchdog agencies.

"What is going on?" said Judy Scott Feldman, head of the National Coalition to Save Our Mall, a group of civic and professional organizations in Washington formed in 2000. "Why the Navy would be doing construction is a question . . . And if the Navy is saying it's purely a construction project, then why is it a secret?"

Temporary facilities have a way of outliving their builders, said Feldman, whose group's Web site has posted a photograph of the project. ]]> Secret U.S. Navy Site
1 PicsMultiple thumbnailsView in Google Maps
Secret U.S. Navy Site
[Info] [GM] [LL] [YM]
By: jsmjr
@ 2006-10-09 13:26:19
Mysterious 4-acre complex described as work a "utility assessment and upgrade" conducted by U.S. Navy under temporary structures at Ohio Drive SW and Buckeye Drive SW

See Washington Post, November 26, 2004, Pg. B1

Navy Keeps A Secret In Plain Sight

Hush-Hush Project Underway by Potomac

By Spencer S. Hsu, Washington Post Staff Writer

Shortly after dawn on a recent morning, two dump trucks and a water tanker pulled up to a new, unmarked complex of buildings at East Potomac Park, the grassy peninsula near the Jefferson Memorial. The drivers exited their cabs, knocked at a gatehouse with blacked-out windows and waited for a security guard to emerge from behind a locked door.

A few minutes later, a panel of 10-foot-high security fence slid open, and the trucks disappeared inside, leaving the joggers and cyclists along the waterfront none the wiser about their mission.

What goes on beyond the fence is a mystery. The multi-agency review normally required to erect anything on federal parkland did not apply to the beige, metal buildings. The Navy, which operates the site at Ohio and Buckeye drives SW, calls the work a "utility assessment and upgrade" and volunteers nothing more.

"As a matter of policy, we can't go into the particulars," said a Navy spokesman, Lt. Cmdr. Joseph A. Surette.

Frederick J. Lindstrom, acting secretary of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, said it is illegal for him to discuss the matter. He did say the Navy started the work without seeking review from the commission, which oversees the city's Potomac River parklands.

"Let's just say when they're finished, you'll be glad they've done what they've done," Lindstrom said.

Amid the secrecy, theories abound about the four-acre complex, which is dead center in a ring that includes the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon, Reagan National Airport and the National War College. Is it a sophisticated sensor station, guarding the 14th Street bridge and other Potomac River crossings? Is it an excavation point for underwater barriers to protect the Washington Channel and Potomac River from submarines? Is it a staging area for Navy Seabees securing underwater cables between the White House and the Pentagon, across the river?

Whatever the case, in a capital where concrete barriers and police roadblocks have become a common and often grating part of city life since Sept. 11, 2001, the Navy compound represents a more ambiguous side to security. It is visible and obscure, hidden in plain sight, billed as temporary but expected to last for years.

And it joins a network of things large and small erected to protect the capital. Wind and radiation tracking instruments sit atop the Federal Reserve. Biowarfare sensors sniff the air in front of the Smithsonian Institution. Antiaircraft systems have been spotted on a rooftop next to the White House and on a Prince George's County riverbank, across the Potomac from Mount Vernon.

For its part, the Navy began work unobtrusively about a year ago on its site near Hains Point, a recreation area known best for its golf course, fishing and "The Awakening," J. Seward Johnson Jr.'s giant sculpture.

The Navy took over the National Park Service land without any announcement. When the agencies that oversee the Mall caught up with the project months later, the hangar-like structures, which cover an excavation area, were visible from Interstate 395.

The agencies' only recourse was to ask the Justice Department to sue the Pentagon. Lindstrom said that was deemed not an option.

After inquiries, senior officials at the Fine Arts Commission and the National Capital Planning Commission were briefed about the security-sensitive project and sworn to silence. The staffs of both commissions, which review many federal agency security requests, were bypassed, and no paper trail was produced.

"The project's sponsors felt it wasn't necessary to bring it to these agencies for their review," Lindstrom said. "It's not quite right -- they should have -- but in hindsight, they did discuss the building and the project and essentially what's entailed there."

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), who has criticized federal security projects for encroaching on life in the District, seldom lets slip an opportunity to make her point. In this case, however, Norton "is aware of what's going on but cannot comment," spokeswoman Doxie McCoy said.

A spokeswoman for the planning commission, Lisa MacSpadden, referred questions to Surette, the Navy spokesman. Surette would not say whether the project is classified or whether it had a name. Nor would he say how much it cost, how many people were on the job or why it was needed. He did say that work under the temporary structures would last about four years, that it complied with local and federal safety and environmental laws and that it would have no impact on traffic.

Mall preservationists say they appreciate the Navy's assurances -- as well as its efforts to protect the nation -- but decry the lack of oversight and public meetings by watchdog agencies.

"What is going on?" said Judy Scott Feldman, head of the National Coalition to Save Our Mall, a group of civic and professional organizations in Washington formed in 2000. "Why the Navy would be doing construction is a question . . . And if the Navy is saying it's purely a construction project, then why is it a secret?"

Temporary facilities have a way of outliving their builders, said Feldman, whose group's Web site has posted a photograph of the project. ]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/24471/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/24471/ Mon, 09 Oct 2006 13:26:19 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/24471/ 38.87775400 -77.03515600 <![CDATA[Predator Drone Returning From Mission]]>