What is this US facility?

Probably covered before but what is the purpose of this facility. Zoomed in you can see a vehicle dwarfed by the ring. Thanks you gotta love Google earth.
pg.photos.yahoo.com...

Looks like one BIG antenna. There is a similar one at RAF Chicksands (USAF) in Bedfordshire. Google it and take a look.

elephant cage antenna

Previously classifed antenna used by spooks in the cold war. There were several of them around the world.

The work those days was very hush, hush. As the structure went up there was much speculation at Misawa about what the purpose was. Joe came up with the explanation that it was an 'Elephant Cage.' He maintained that was their purpose and justified the explanation by pointing out: 'They work pretty well, don't they. You don't see any elephants running around loose do you?' I guess the name stuck."

When I was in the military, they were retiring these.

JDub


[edit on 3/31/2006 by BlueTileSpook]

The pic is 03 or 04 and judging by the cars parked at the main facilities Id say they are still active. The facilities look well maintained and attended. Strange.

So this facility is essentially a Big Ear? Also the one in England is constructed differently and seems a bit smaller. The scale is further enhanced if you zoom in on Google you can see a vehicle next to the center radom building. I beleive by the condition of and the full facility parking lot that this site is in fact fully operational as of the images date.Could be as old as 02 or as new as 05. Im unsure. All kinds of weird stuff can be found on google if you really spend a lot of time. Wonder if the Gov's of the World know we can see up close many of their secret's with Google Earth and the Nasa equivalent? Fun stuff none the less.

Very short history of elephant cage antennas around the world

It doesn't say that Adak, Alaska has been shut down, but if it is still in operation, then it is one of the last ones in the world.

It was great in its time for HFDF, but it outlived its usefullness and was expensive as heck to maintain.

We used to follow the russians, chinese and japanese with them.

JDub

Originally posted by BlueTileSpook
Very short history of elephant cage antennas around the world

It doesn't say that Adak, Alaska has been shut down, but if it is still in operation, then it is one of the last ones in the world.

It was great in its time for HFDF, but it outlived its usefullness and was expensive as heck to maintain.

We used to follow the russians, chinese and japanese with them.

JDub

Cool. Looks like it still does.

forget any of that, does anyone know what that UK ship is about? go to the original link, and go back a picture or so. It really is strange. anyone know what thats about? It looks military.. maybe a catameran?

There's another thread that discusses that ship. This thread is about the elephant cage and its accompanying photo.

JDub

Originally posted by acura_el2000
forget any of that, does anyone know what that UK ship is about? go to the original link, and go back a picture or so. It really is strange. anyone know what thats about? It looks military.. maybe a catameran?

www.abovetopsecret.com...
This explains it all.
The big ear or Elephnt cage is my newest query.

Hi folks - Adak, Alaska is officially in the hands of the Aleuts and is inhabitted by about 300 permanent residents.

Here is a link detailing the massive amounts of pollution all over Adak, but this is epcific to the antenna field. (where the elephant cage is located)
adakupdate.com...

I spent a lot of time in Adak, AK, flying in and out for a year, on two different deployments.

The island is under review for the pollution and is not any longer a Navy (or even US Government) property - they DO have Navy personnel there working on the environmental issues, but mostly civilian employees of the Navy.

The elephant cage was cool - we frequently snuck out there and just snooped around the area, but it was pretty well guarded, even WAY out there!

Originally posted by VType
Probably covered before but what is the purpose of this facility. Zoomed in you can see a vehicle dwarfed by the ring. Thanks you gotta love Google earth.
pg.photos.yahoo.com...

Looks like your standard Wullenweber. Maybe it's at Elemendorf? or one of the Army bases in AK?

Originally posted by TheShooter
Hi folks - Adak, Alaska is officially in the hands of the Aleuts and is inhabitted by about 300 permanent residents.

Here is a link detailing the massive amounts of pollution all over Adak, but this is epcific to the antenna field. (where the elephant cage is located)
adakupdate.com...

I spent a lot of time in Adak, AK, flying in and out for a year, on two different deployments.

The island is under review for the pollution and is not any longer a Navy (or even US Government) property - they DO have Navy personnel there working on the environmental issues, but mostly civilian employees of the Navy.

The elephant cage was cool - we frequently snuck out there and just snooped around the area, but it was pretty well guarded, even WAY out there!

Yeah, i guess they closed it in the mid-late 90's or so? It's too bad. Shemya, a little farther out from Adak is still open though, basically run by contractors now. What a rock that place was.

there used to be one of these on the VA-NC border, from what I can tell, the facility is still active, but the elephant cage is gone.

Originally posted by ben94gt
there used to be one of these on the VA-NC border, from what I can tell, the facility is still active, but the elephant cage is gone.

Yup, it was run by the Navy...formerly NSGA Northwest. Most of the mission transferred out to other sites.

eyeball.sabotage.org...

benefits.military.com...