The Menwith Hill . The listening base plays a role in US and UK intelligence-gathering A plan for extra radar shelters at Menwith Hill communications and intelligence base have been approved. Serving RAF Alconbury, RAF Croughton, RAF Lakenheath, RAF Menwith Hill, RAF Mildenhall and Stavanger, Norway. 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. Any reference to satellites being operated or any connection to intelligence gathering is strictly prohibited.. Prince Charles visits RAF Menwith Hill. I dont buy this idea that you say the word security and nobody can know anything. During the renovations, the NSA shipped in new computer systems and laid 182 miles of cables, enough to stretch from New York City to the outskirts of Boston. Therefore, on 1 August 1966, with the agreement of the British Government, control of Menwith Hill Station was handed from the US Army to the NSA when it became a field element of the agency. The site contains an extensive satellite ground station and is a communications intercept and missile warning site and has been described as the largest electronic monitoring station in the world. ", "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. "[14], Between 1984 and 1995 a number of peace camps were established in close proximity to the station. In another case in 2007, GHOSTHUNTER was used to identify an alleged al Qaeda weapons procurer in Iraq named Abu Sayf. MENWITH HILL is ostensibly an RAF base. Both units operate in a very tight collaboration to fulfill the mission of the base. It is not clear precisely how many communications Menwith Hill is capable of tapping into at any one time, but the NSAs documents indicate the number is extremely large. Most visible from the outside are a cluster of about 30 of the giant white domes. Rapporteur Gerhard Schmid (11 July 2001). Harrogate Borough Council found more radomes "would not materially affect the wider landscapeas the overall impact would remain akin to the present situation". [37], On 5 July 2000, the European Union set up the European Parliament's Temporary Committee on the ECHELON Interception System stated that the global system for the interception of private and commercial communications was operating by means of "cooperation proportionate to their capabilities" among the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand under the UKUSA. It hosts a few massive satellite grounds, not to mention about some missile warning services. [34], On 1 April 2006, RAF Menwith Hill was designated as a protected site for the purposes of Section 128 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005. A number of other individual protests have also taken place, predominantly related to nuclear proliferation and strategic missile defense. Especially in remote parts of the world where there are no fiber-optic cable links, it is common for internet connections and phone calls to be routed over satellite. Once you complete your 3-step registration process, you may begin searching for available housing at . Where will my children go to school at my new location? Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency, United States Air Force in the United Kingdom, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6916262.stm, "Lifting the Lid on Menwith Hill: The Strategic Roles & Economic Impact of the US Spy Base in Yorkshire", http://www.natowatch.org/sites/default/files/liftingthelid.pdf, "Menwith Hill eavesdropping base undergoes massive expansion", http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/mar/01/menwith-hill-eavesdropping-base-expansion, "Occupy 'spy base': UK activists cry espionage over US surveillance center", http://rt.com/news/protesters-occupy-menwith-base-429/, "GCHQ intercepted foreign politicians' communications at G20 summit", http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/jun/16/gchq-intercepted-communications-g20-summits, http://www.duncancampbell.org/menu/journalism/newstatesman/newstatesman-1988/They%27ve%20got%20it%20taped.pdf.+Retrieved, "Report on the existence of a global system for the interception of private and commercial communications (ECHELON interception system)", http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+REPORT+A5-2001-0264+0+DOC+PDF+V0//EN&language=EN, http://www.cyber-rights.org/interception/stoa/interception_capabilities_2000.htm.+Retrieved, http://www.nickyhager.info/secret-power-new-zealands-role-in-the-international-spy-network/, "Menwith Hill - The Campaign of Opposition", "From Greenham to Menwith: The women's peace campaign at Menwith Hill", http://www.thefword.org.uk/features/2003/09/from_greenham_to_menwith_the_womens_peace_campaign_at_menwith_hill, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1422426.stm, "Menwith Hill protests continue for second day", http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2001/jul/04/3, "Why has the US base at Menwith Hill created such a political storm? [48][49][50][51][52], In April 2012 activists affiliated with the global Occupy Movement held a four-day campsite at Menwith Hill. Find BAH, PCS, TLA, & ETS Military Housing near Hill AFB. In February 2014, the U.S. Department of Defense announced after a review that it was planning to reduce personnel at Menwith Hill by 2016, with about 500 service members and civilians set to be removed from the site. The MHO will assist you every step of the way to help you find your new home in the local community. The NSA developed similar methods at Menwith Hill to track down terror suspects in Yemen, where the U.S. has waged a covert drone war against militants associated with al Qaeda in the Northern Peninsula. Menwith Hill's new principal, Kevin Brewer, came from Heidleberg High School, Germany, which closed in the spring as part of the closure of the military community there. Intercepted conversations were recorded on Ampex tape recorders, Bird noted in his published 1997 account, with some transcribed by analysts in real-time using typewriters. How many covert wars, miscarriages of justice, and dystopian technologies would remain hidden if our reporters werent on the beat? [7] Security at the station was provided by a US Army military police detachment and the British Air Ministry Constabulary. How do I begin out-processing from housing? Once you complete your 3-step registration process, you may begin searching for available housing at . According to documents lodged by the MoD the proposed additions are "required to meet the operational output of the station". Yet the British government has steadfastly refused to comment, citing a longstanding policy not to discuss matters related to national security. The documents obtained by The Intercept reveal that spy satellites operated at Menwith Hill today can target communications in China and Latin America, and also provide continuous coverage of the majority of the Eurasian landmass, where they intercept tactical military, scientific, political, and economic communications signals. But perhaps the most significant role the base has played in recent years has been in the Middle East and North Africa. For information about the housing allowances that financially support your move, see Referral and Relocation Assistance. 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 . We route it sometimes to the UK and sometimes to the US". [28], RAF Menwith Hill is owned by the British Ministry of Defence (MOD). [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". The plan for three. "[37] During the early 1970s, the first of what became more than eight large satellite communications dishes were installed at Menwith Hill. Housing Services - Assisting in establishing utility services Hill AFB Military Base Housing | Homes For Sale Near Hill AFB | AHRN [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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. Community Housing Units NSA employees at Menwith Hill have collaborated on a project to help eliminate terrorism targets in Yemen, for example, where the U.S. has waged a controversial drone bombing campaign that has resulted in dozens of civilian deaths. Transfer to the National Security Agency (1966 1996), US Army Intelligence and Security Command, Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005, Temporary Committee on the ECHELON Interception System, United States Air Force in the United Kingdom, "Unknown territory: America's secret archipelago of UK bases", "Technology led to decision to cut Menwith Hill personnel", "Interception Of Communications - Hansard", "Menwith Hill Station (Hansard, 12 July 1995)", "RAF Menwith Hill (Hansard, 13 May 1996)", "BT condemned for listing cables to US sigint station", "Spanning the GlobeMisawa to Menwith Hill: Part 1", "Lifting the Lid on Menwith Hill: The Strategic Roles & Economic Impact of the US Spy Base in Yorkshire", "Menwith Hill eavesdropping base undergoes massive expansion", "GCHQ intercepted foreign politicians' communications at G20 summit", "Spy base 'golf ball' radar shelters approved", "Report on Planning Application 19/02389/FUL", "Spy base plans for extra radar antenna shelters", "RAF Menwith Hill:Written question - 112002", "The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (Designated Sites) Order 2005", "Report on the existence of a global system for the interception of private and commercial communications (ECHELON interception system)", "Menwith Hill - The Campaign of Opposition", "From Greenham to Menwith: The women's peace campaign at Menwith Hill", "Menwith Hill protests continue for second day", "Why has the US base at Menwith Hill created such a political storm? 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. 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. The history of the installation dates back to 1954. In a single 12-hour period in May 2011, for instance, its surveillance systems logged more than 335 million metadata records, which reveal information such as the sender and recipient of an email, or the phone numbers someone called and at what time. Many agents will insist you have insurance to an agreed amount to cover any serious damage to a rental property. A plan for extra radar shelters at Menwith Hill communications and intelligence base have been approved. [11][12] The NSA expanded the station during the 1970s and 1980s, with the operations centre extended and new buildings erected. 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. A 2009 document added that GHOSTHUNTERs focus was at that time on geolocation of internet cafs in the Middle East/North Africa region in support of U.S. military operations and said that it had to date successfully geolocated over 5,000 VSAT terminals in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iran. VSAT, or Very Small Aperture Terminal, is a satellite system commonly used by internet cafs and foreign governments in the Middle East to send and receive communications and data. Located near Harrogate, Yorkshire, England. School Information [30], According to the Royal Air Force "RAF Menwith Hill is an integral part of the US DOD world-wide defence communications network. Use the resources provided to become familiar with the housing options and support services available to you. Below is a list of installations that are supported by the Automated Housing Referral Network. Phone: 01638-543540 | 238-3540 Check us out on Facebook! The site lies between Harrogate and Skipton near a stretch of the A59. He has sought clarification on a variety of issues, such as how many U.S. personnel are stationed at the site, whether it is involved in conducting drone strikes, and whether members of a British parliamentary oversight committee have been given full access to review its operations. Members should use HEAT when preparing to transfer to their new assignment. One such location is RAF Menwith Hill, which is situated on 650-acres of North Yorkshire countryside. [22] In March 2012 researcher Dr. Steve Schofield of BASIC produced a 65-page report called "Lifting the Lid on Menwith Hill",[23] funded by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust and commissioned and published by the Yorkshire Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Planning application documents say it does not meet the security standards required by the US and UK armed forces. 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 base's multimillion-pound expansion, Project Phoenix, is "one of the largest and most sophisticated high technology programs carried out anywhere in the UK over the last 10 years". [8], The station initially comprised a headquarters building, barracks, dependent housing and support facilities such as a cinema and social clubs. Later, two additional cables were added over which telephone and other communications could go to and from the base. Most of the protests targeted the missile defense strategies. NSA/USAF Menwith Hill | Menwith Hill Accountability Campaign Building costs at the time were $6.8million as well as a further $1.2million for personnel housing. Hatton Cross Underground Station to RAF Menwith Hill - Rome2rio [14] At the time, eight radomes were now present at Menwith Hill, connecting it with other sites in the NSA's satellite communications network and alleged to allow the surveillance of communications in foreign countries. Menwith Hills previously undisclosed role aiding the so-called targeted killing of terror suspects highlights the extent of the British governments apparent complicity in controversial U.S. attacks and raises questions about the legality of the secret operations carried out from the base. RAF Menwith Hill Directory - Phone Numbers & Directions Menwith Hill: spying and killing for the US? | Morning Star [21] Notwithstanding, the US Army retained a presence and in place of the 109th Military Intelligence Group, INSCOM formed a provisional battalion designated as the Menwith Hill Battalion (Provisional). Menwith Hill is ostensibly an RAF base. RAF Menwith Hill is a co-base run by the United States of America and the United Kingdom. Use the resources provided to become familiar with the housing options and support services available to you. The 421st Air Base Group provides the majority of support services but the base is commanded by an officer of the RAF. Units - AF This RAF Menwith Hill directory features the critical info youll need to navigate through the many facilities and recreational opportunities available on base. The files reveal for the first time how the NSA has used the British base to aid a significant number of capture-kill operations across the Middle East and North Africa, fueled by powerful eavesdropping technology that can harvest data frommore than 300 million emails and phone calls a day. Find all the transport options for your trip from RAF Menwith Hill to Harrogate right here. Thats all it takes to support the journalism you rely on. The effect of the act was to make it a specific criminal offence for a person to trespass into the station. According to top-secret documents obtained by The.