Naval Communication Station Harold E. Holt
|
|
Naval Communication Station Harold E. Holt is located on the North West coast of Australia, 6km north of Exmouth, Western Australia.
The station was commissioned on September 16, 1967. On September 20, 1968, the station was officially renamed to US Naval Communication Station Harold E. Holt in memory of the late Harold Holt, former Prime Minister of Australia, who died three months after the station was commissioned.
The station provides very low frequency (VLF) radio transmission to US and Australian navy ships and submarines in the western Pacific Ocean and eastern Indian Ocean.
The station features thirteen tall radio towers. The tallest tower is called Tower Zero and is 387 metres tall. Making it at the time it was built the tallest man-made structure in the Southern Hemisphere. Six towers are evenly placed in a circle around Tower Zero. The other six towers are evenly placed in a larger circle around Tower Zero.
During July 2002, the Australian Navy handed over operation of the station to the Defence Materiel Organisation.
The base is run under contract by Boeing Australia, Ltd.