Is RAF Fylingdales still operational?

Royal Air Force Fylingdales or more simply RAF Fylingdales is a Royal Air Force station on Snod Hill in the North York Moors, England. Its motto is “Vigilamus” (translates to “We are watching”)….

RAF Fylingdales
Built 1962/63
In use 1963–Present
Garrison information
Current commander Wg Cdr Thomas Colledge

What is RAF Fylingdales used for?

RAF Fylingdales in North Yorkshire provides a continuous ballistic missile early warning service to the UK and US Governments, ensuring a surprise missile attack cannot succeed. As a key element of the Space Surveillance Network, the Station is capable of tracking objects 3000 miles into space.

What is fylingdales?

Fylingdales is a civil parish in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England situated south of Whitby, within the North York Moors National Park. It contains the villages of Robin Hood’s Bay and Fylingthorpe and Fyling Hall School.

What happens at Fylingdales?

Fylingdales communicates and shares information with the two other sites, before it is passed on to the UK and US governments. In the case of spotting a ballistic missile, personnel at the station have to check their systems are working and inform the authorities within 60 seconds.

What happened to the golf balls at Fylingdales?

The Fylingdale radomes were in use until 1992, when they were replaced by an advanced radar system, the three sided solid-state phased-array radar (SSPAR) grey pyramid. The golf balls were subsequently dismantled.

What are the big white balls in Yorkshire?

The site acts as a ground station for a number of satellites operated by the US National Reconnaissance Office, on behalf of the NSA, with antennae contained in numerous distinctive white radomes, locally referred to as “the golf balls”, and is alleged to be an element of the ECHELON system.

Where does the Lyke Wake Walk start?

It begins at Scarth Wood Moor trig point or the western Lyke Wake Stone in Sheepwash car park, follows the summit track from Live Moor over Carlton Moor, Cringle Moor, Cold Moor and Hasty Bank, Smuggler’s Trod, Bloworth, Ironstone Railway, Esklets or South Flat Howe or Lion Inn, White Cross (Fat Betty), Shunner Howe.

What are the white balls near Harrogate?

In August last year, Harrogate Council approved an application for three additional ‘radomes’ at the base. These large structures, pictured here, are often nicknamed ‘golf balls’ because of their white, dimpled appearance. They are designed to shield and protect radar equipment, particularly from the elements.

What are the big white golf balls near Harrogate?

Menwith Hill is just a few miles from the Yorkshire town of Harrogate. It is hard to miss – huge, white golf-ball structures stick out of the earth, a strange sight in the midst of miles of beautiful countryside.

Can you cycle the Lyke Wake Walk?

Cycle & horse crossings are not allowed, nor are they legal, twenty-four hours of daylight are allowed for ski crossings. For all practical purposes the walk starts at the car park at the eastern end of Sheepwash reservoir (SE468993) and finishes at the Raven Hall Hotel in Ravenscar or vice versa.

How hilly is the Lyke Wake Walk?

The Lyke Wake Walk is a 40-mile (64 km) challenge walk across the highest and widest part of the North York Moors National Park in North Yorkshire, England….

Lyke Wake Walk
Use Hiking
Elevation
Highest point Botton Head, Urra Moor, 1,489 ft (454 m)
Lowest point Scugdale Beck, 410 ft (120 m)

What kind of radar is used at Fylingdales?

The current radar system at Fylingdales is a 3-faced phased array radar that operates in the UHF (420-450 MHz) frequency range. During the Cold War, Fylingdales operated under the US “Masterplan for tactical Warning and Attack” which listed the aims of BMEWS as being to:

Where is the Royal Air Force Fylingdales located?

PAVE PAWS and BMEWS coverage Royal Air Force Fylingdales or more simply RAF Fylingdales is a Royal Air Force station on Snod Hill in the North York Moors, England. Its motto is “Vigilamus” (translates to “We are watching”). It is a radar base and is also part of the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS).

How does the Fylingdales solid state phased array work?

The Fylingdales Solid State Phased Array (SSPAR) has three faces and uses changes in electrical phase to steer the radar beam and continually search out to 3,000 miles for incoming objects or missiles.

How is Fylingdales linked to the BMEWS?

Fylingdales is one of the 3 stations in an American Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS) chain of radars linked across the North Atlantic. It could be information from this radar station that initiates a nuclear response from the US and/or the UK to a percieved threat – real or false; intended or accidental.