Antennas of Pine Gap image gallery

This gallery holds links to all images reproduced in Desmond Ball, Bill Robinson and Richard Tanter, The Antennas of Pine Gap, Nautilus Institute, Special Reports, 18 February 2016.

Cover – high resolution image.

Details of the antennas are listed in Table 1 in that paper.

The antennas identification system in Table 1 and in the images below is a year-based identification system.

The antennas are listed in chronological order, with some allowance for uncertainty in particular cases. The antenna identification number in column 2 is based on the year that the antenna was installed (see column 6), with a letter suffix further identifying it within the group installed that year. The first antenna listed, 67-A, was built in 1967, and it was the first (and only) antenna built that year. The second antenna listed, 68-A, was one of four installed in the following year. In cases of uncertainty, the best estimate is noted with a question mark. When an antenna is known to have been installed at some point during a specific period, the identification number is derived from the earliest possible year of construction in that range – e.g. antenna 86-A is known to have been installed between 1986 and 1988.

We are deeply grateful to Felicity Ruby and Kristian Laemmle-Ruff, who very generously gave us permission to reproduce their photographs of Pine Gap.

NOTE ON ATTRIBUTION

Images in this paper by Kristian Laemmle-Ruff and by Felicity Ruby may be used for non-commercial purposes, subject to attribution and other conditions under Creative Commons Licence Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0): see http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/.

See Kristian Laemmle-Ruff Photography, and Felicity Ruby – The Fourth Eye.

The source images by Kristian Laemmle Ruff used for Figures 4, 9, 30, 32, 37, 39, 46, 47, 49, 55 and the cover image are available here in medium-level resolution.

Very large file size versions of Laemmle-Ruff’s images are available through his website.

Media requests for reproduction rights should be directed to that website.

Felicity Ruby’s photographs are available here and through her website.

Click on thumbnails for fullsize image

Figure 1. Antenna systems at Pine Gap, Google Earth imagery, 6 November 2015. Note: for antenna identification system see Desmond Ball, Bill Robinson and Richard Tanter, The Antennas of Pine Gap, Nautilus Institute, Special Reports, February 2016.	Figure 2. Number of antenna systems at Pine Gap, 1970-2015	Figure 3. Pine Gap signals intelligence compound, 2012 – annotated	Figure 4. Principal SIGINT and FORNSAT/COMSAT parabolic antennas in radomes (Antennas 90-A, 10-A, 99-D, 99-C, 85-A, 77-A, 68-A, 71-A, 68-B) Source: Kristian Laemmle-Ruff, (Attribution – NonCommercial CC BY-NC).
Figure 4. Principal SIGINT and FORNSAT/COMSAT parabolic antennas in radomes (annotated) Source: Kristian Laemmle-Ruff, (Attribution – NonCommercial CC BY-NC).	Figure 5. Two radomes at Pine Gap, 1968-69 (Antennas 68-A and 68-B)	Figure 6. Five radomes at Pine Gap, 1973-77 (Antennas 68-B, 71-A, 68-A and 73-A; 69-B not visible – collimation tower to left of 68-A)	Figure 7. Four radomes at Pine Gap, 1969-71 (Antennas 69-A, 68-A, 69-B and 68-B)
Figure 8. Five radomes at Pine Gap, 1971-77 (68-A, 73-A, 71-A, 69-B and 68-B)	Figure 9. Antennas 77-A, 68-A, 71-A, 68-B Source: Kristian Laemmle-Ruff, (Attribution – NonCommercial CC BY-NC).	Figure 10. Antennas 68-B, 80-A (on Operations Building roof), 80-B, 71-A, 68-C (HF transmitter), 68-B, 77-A and 86-A, 23 January 2016	Figure 10. (annotated) Antennas 68-B, 80-A (on Operations Building roof), 80-B, 71-A, 68-C (HF transmitter), 68-B, 77-A and 86-A, 23 January 2016
Figure 11. HF transmitter (68-C) and receiver (68-D) antennas at Pine Gap, Google Earth imagery, 6 November 2015	Figure 12. Ford Aerospace SCT-35 DSCS antenna system. Source: Ford Aerospace	Figure 13. Ford Aerospace SCT-8 DSCS antenna system. Source: Ford Aerospace	Figure 14. Six radomes, 1977 (Antennas 73-A, 68-B, 69-B, 71-A, 68-A and 77-A)
Figure 15. Six radomes, 1977 (Antennas 68-C [HF], 73-A, 68-B, 69-B, 71-A, 68-A and 77-A)	Figure 16. Seven radomes at Pine Gap, 1983 (Antennas 73-A, 77-A, 80-A [on the roof of the Operations Building], 68-A, 71-A, 80-B and 68-B). Source: ‘Concern Rises Over “Spy Role”’, Centralian Advocate, 18 January 1985, (photograph taken January-July 1983).	Figure 17. Credible Dove, early 1985	Figure 18. Antennas 87-A and 88-A, 23 January 2016. Source: Felicity Ruby, (Attribution – NonCommercial CC BY-NC).
Figure 19. Foundation for new radome (85-A) constructed in late 1984. Source: Source: ‘Concern Rises Over “Spy Role”’, Centralian Advocate, 18 January 1985.	Figure 20. Pine Gap, mid-1985, with seven radomes and new large dish under construction (Antennas 73-A, 85-A under construction, 80-A, 77-A, 68-A, 71-A, 80-B and 68-B)	Figure 21. Eight radomes at Pine Gap, 1986 (Antennas 68-B, 80-B, 71-A, 80-A, 68-A, 77-A, 73-A and 85-A).	Figure 22. Radomes at Pine Gap, c 1986 (Antennas 73-A, 85-A, 77-A, 68-A, 71-A and 68-B). Source: Department of Defence Public Relations, Canberra, Ref. No. CANA/85 / 315/17.
Figure 23. Radomes at Pine Gap, c 1986 (Antennas 85-A, 80-A [half hidden on roof of the Operations Building], 77-A, 68-A, 71-A and 68-B).	Figure 24. Radomes at Pine Gap in 1986 (Antennas 68-A, 71-A, 80-B, top of 73-A and 68-B). Source: Department of Defence Public Relations, Canberra, Ref. No. CANA/85 / 315/24.		Figure 25. Radomes at Pine Gap in 1986 (Antennas 68-B, 80-B, 71-A, 68-A 77-A and 85-A). Source: Department of Defence.
Figure 25. Radomes at Pine Gap in 1986 (Antennas 68-B, 80-B, 71-A, 68-A 77-A and 85-A)	Figure 26. Radomes at Pine Gap in 1986 (Antennas 85-A, 77-A and 68-A). Source: Department of Defence Public Relations, Canberra, Ref. No. CANA/85 / 315/21.	Figure 26. Radomes at Pine Gap in 1986 (Antennas 85-A, 77-A and 68-A) – annotated Source: Department of Defence Public Relations, Canberra, Ref. No. CANA/85 / 315/21.	Figure 27. Radomes at Pine Gap, c 1991. (Antennas 68-B, 80-B, 71-A, 84-A HF LPA, 73-A, 68-A, 77-A, collimation tower behind 85-A, 85-A, 86-A without radome in front of 85-A, and 90-A). Source: Erwin Chlanda, ‘Spy base and Kindergarten: Are they above the law?’ Alice Springs News Online, 12 December 2012, at http://www.alicespringsnews.com.au/2012/12/12/spy-base-and-kindergarten-are-they-above-the-law/.
Figure 27. Radomes at Pine Gap, c 1991 – annotated. Source: Erwin Chlanda, ‘Spy base and Kindergarten: Are they above the law?’ Alice Springs News Online, 12 December 2012, at http://www.alicespringsnews.com.au/2012/12/12/spy-base-and-kindergarten-are-they-above-the-law/.	Figure 28. Pine Gap, c 1997 (Antennas 68-B, 80-B, 80-A on the roof of the Operations Building, 71-A, 68-A, 77-A, 85-A and 86-A, with 87-A and 88-A in Administration/Recreation area). Source: Stan and Holly Deyo, ‘Pine Gap: America’s Tribute to Nikola Tesla’, at http://millennium-ark.net/News_Files/Newsletters/News000722/News000722.html.	Figure 29. Antennas 90-A and 90-B, TerraServer imagery, 7 October 2014	Figure 30. Antennas 90-B, 05-C, 05-D and 90-B. Source: Kristian Laemmle-Ruff, (Attribution – NonCommercial CC BY-NC).
Figure 31. Pine Gap, 1999 Source: Department of Defence, supplied to Ms Tanya Plibersek, MHR, accompanying ‘Defence: Pine Gap’, Hansard (House of Representatives), 28 May 2002, p. 2555.	Figure 32. The Relay Ground Station compound, (Antennas 05-B, 12-A, 05-A, 13-A, 98-A, 98-B and 13-B) Source: Kristian Laemmle-Ruff, (Attribution – NonCommercial CC BY-NC).	Figure 33. DSP/SBIRS RGS compoundGoogle Earth imagery, 11 August 2005	Figure 34. DSP/SBIRS RGS compound, 2012 Here.com imagery
Figure 35. DSP/SBIRS RGS compound Google Earth imagery, 9 January 2013	Figure 36. DSP/SBIRS RGS compound Google Earth imagery, 2 October 2014	Figure 37. DSP/SBIRS overhead persistent infrared antennas, (Antennas 13-A, 98-A, 98-B and 13-B) Source: Kristian Laemmle-Ruff, (Attribution – NonCommercial CC BY-NC).	Figure 38. Three 5.5-metre STSS radomes, 2012 (Antennas 05-A, 12-A and 05-B
Figure 39. Antennas 05-B, 12-A and 05-A Source: Kristian Laemmle-Ruff, (Attribution – NonCommercial CC BY-NC).	Figure 40. FORNSAT radomes under construction, early 1999 Source: Philip Dorling, ‘Pine Gap drives US drone kills’, Sydney Morning Herald, 21 July 2013 (photograph supplied), at http://www.smh.com.au/national/pine-gap-drives-us-drone-kills-20130720-2qbsa.html.	Figure 41. FORNSAT radomes (99-C and 99-D) under construction, early 1999 Source: ‘“Pine Gap”, Australian Map – Military Communications, Spy Bases and Nuclear Ship Ports’, at http://australianmap.net/pine-gap/.	Figure 42. Antennas 99-A, 01-B, 01-A, 99-E, 04-A and 99-B Google Earth imagery, 8 September 2004
Figure 43. Antennas 99-A, 01-B, 01-A, 99-E, 04-A, 99-B and 05-E, TerraServer imagery, 17 October 2009	Figure 44. Antennas 99-A, 01-B, 01-A, 99-E, 99-B, 04-A and 05-E TerraServer imagery, 20 September 2012	Figure 45. Antennas 99-A, 01-A, 99-E and 99-B TerraServer imagery, 8 October 2013	Figure 46. DSP/SBIRS communications antennas Antennas 99-A, 99-E, 01-A, 99-B, 04-A (helical array), 99-B and 05-E (helical array) Source: Kristian Laemmle-Ruff, (Attribution – NonCommercial CC BY-NC).
Figure 47. Helical array (Antenna 05-E in two sets of two to right of 99-B) Source: Kristian Laemmle-Ruff, (Attribution – NonCommercial CC BY-NC).	Figure 48. Two 4-metre dishes, Antennas 05-C and 05-D, TerraServer imagery, 10 September 2010	Figure 48b. Antennas 05-C and 05-D, Terraserver imagery, 20 September 2012	Figure 49. Two 4-metre dishes, Antennas 05-C and 05-D Source: Kristian Laemmle-Ruff, (Attribution – NonCommercial CC BY-NC).
Figure 50. Antenna 08-A, Torus multi-beam antenna 12 October 2013 (Antennas 68-A, 71-A, 68-B, 11-A, and 08-A at rear) Source: Richard Tanter, (Attribution – NonCommercial CC BY-NC).	Figure 51. Antenna 08-A, Torus multi-beam antenna, 23 January 2016 Source: Felicity Ruby, (Attribution – NonCommercial CC BY-NC).	Figure 52. Torus multi-beam antenna compound, TerraServer imagery, January 2010	Figure 53a. Antenna 11-A Source: Felicity Ruby, (Attribution – NonCommercial CC BY-NC).
Figure 53b. Antenna 11-A, 23 January 2016. Source: Felicity Ruby, (Attribution – NonCommercial CC BY-NC).	Figure 54. Antenna 10-A commencing construction, TerraServer imagery, 22 January 2011	Figure 55. Antenna 10-A Source: Kristian Laemmle-Ruff, (Attribution – NonCommercial CC BY-NC).	Figure 56. Pine Gap from the southeast, 23 January 2016 Source: Felicity Ruby (Attribution – NonCommercial CC BY-NC).
Map 1. Torus sites and coverage of the geostationary satellite belt