Fylingdales
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RAF Fylingdales, opened in 1962, is a BMEWS or Ballistic Missile Early Warning System built on Fylingdales Moor, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom. Its original primary purpose was to give the British Government warning of an impending missile attack, the so called four minute warning (though in practice three minutes was more likely). A secondary role is the detection of orbiting objects (allowing for example 'sensitive operations' to be carried out when prying 'eyes in the sky' are not looking).
While the base remains a 'British asset' operated and commanded by the RAF it also forms one of three stations in the United States BMEWS network (the United States also funds the cost of the radar units). The other two stations in the network are Thule AB, Greenland and Clear AFS, Alaska. To this end a USAF officer is stationed at the base. The data grab obtained by Fylingdales is shared fully and freely with the United States where it feeds into NORAD's systems in Cheyenne Mountain.
Originally the station, built by Raytheon and maintained by RCA Services Limited. (now SERCO plc), comprised three large 40 metre diameter 'golfballs' or geodisic domes (radomes) containing mechanically steered radar. It became a local tourist attraction as a result (even though it still does not appear on any UK map). Coach tours to the nearby coastal town of Whitby drive past the site, at which point drivers will typically switch the radio on and allow passengers to listen to the interference caused by the radomes. It is also a centre for protests by groups such as CND. Between 1989 and 1992 Raytheon completed a contract which saw the domes replaced by Active Electronically Scanned Arrays or AESA (phased array) radar. These radars are mounted on each face of a truncated tetrahedron, typically referred to as the "pyramid". This gives Fylingdales a uniqueness amongst its peers in that it covers a full 360 degrees. Each of the three arrays contains around 2560 transmit/receive modules, total peak power output equates to some 2.5MW with a tracking range of 3000+ miles.
In the late 1990's with the United States deciding to fully pursue a National Missile Defense plan Fylingdales attracted further publicity. To improve tracking capabilites (for launches from Africa and the Middle East) the United States wanted the use of Fylingdales as part of its NMD network. After receiving a formal request from the U.S., the British Government agreed to its use as an NMD tracking facility in 2003. The upgrade, now underway by Boeing, will replace many internal systems; computers, displays, etc. to improve resolution and tracking accuracy. No external changes are being made in direct relation to these upgrades and no power increases will occur. This decision has led to renewed demonstrations by CND and other anti-nuclear and anti-war protestors. It has also complicated Britain's fragile relationship with certain EU states such as France.
According to an article published in late 2004 the British Government has also secretly agreed to a U.S. request to station missile interceptors at Fylingdales Moor. This has subsequently been denied by the Ministry of Defence and Government.
Reference
- Fylingdales: Radar on the Moors (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2575759.stm), BBC News Online, 14 December 2002
- The Fylingdales Site - run by Yorkshire CND (http://www.cndyorks.gn.apc.org/fdales/index.htm)
- UK ready to help Son of Star Wars (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2658861.stm), BBC News Online, 15 January 2003
- MoD denies US missiles set for UK (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3750294.stm), BBC News Online, 17 October 2004