RAF Troodos
RAF Troodos | |
|---|---|
| Part of British Forces Cyprus | |
| Troodos Mountains in Cyprus | |
 | |
  RAF Troodos Shown within Cyprus | |
| Coordinates | 34°54′46″N 032°53′02″E / 34.91278°N 32.88389°ECoordinates: 34°54′46″N 032°53′02″E / 34.91278°N 32.88389°E |
| Type | Signals intelligence gathering and radar station |
| Area | 50 hectares |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Ministry of Defence |
| Operator | Royal Air Force |
| Controlled by | Joint Forces Command |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1878 |
| In use | 1878–present |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants | Golf Section, Joint Service Signal Unit (Cyprus) |
Royal Air Force Troödos, commonly known as RAF Troödos, is a Royal Air Force station in the Republic of Cyprus.
RAF Troödos is a remote Signals Station run by 27 personnel from Golf Section, Joint Service Signal Unit (Cyprus), and also contains Mount Olympus Radar Station. The station is based deep within the Troödos Mountains, approximately 14 miles (23 km) north of Episkopi.
History[]
Troödos Station is the oldest remaining British military base in Cyprus, dating from 1878. Initially it was used as a cool summer field hospital for troops from the Egyptian Campaign. British Army and Government officials also used it as a summer retreat.[1]
Current use[]
Declassified documents show that RAF Troödos intercepted satellite communications for the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), and documents released by Edward Snowden suggest this has continued in recent years funded by the U.S. National Security Agency.[2] Information from Snowden also indicates the site acts as a listening post for radio signals from the near Middle East.[3][4]
The British National Space Centre Starbrook wide-field telescope has been located here since 2006. It can detect orbiting objects from 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) in size.[5]
See also[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to RAF Troodos. |
References[]
- ^ "British forces overseas posting: Troodos, Cyprus". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
- ^ "GCHQ worked hard to maintain presence on Cyprus after independence". Gloucestershire Echo. 1 December 2013. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015.
- ^ Iain Thomson (29 January 2016). "Israeli drones and jet signals slurped by UK and US SIGINT teams". The Register. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
- ^ Spies in the sky, by Cora Currier and Henrik Moltke, The Intercept_, 29 January 2016
- ^ Heiner Klinkrad; et al. (February 2008). "Europe's Eyes on the Skies". ESA Bulletin 133. European Space Agency. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
External links[]
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- Royal Air Force stations in Cyprus
- UKUSA listening stations
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