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2 October 2003
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_news/england/north_yorkshire/3159904.stm |
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A controversial military base has invited peace protesters to take a guided tour of its facilities. Members of the Yorkshire branch of anti-nuclear campaign group CND have been invited in to RAF Fylingdales by the Ministry of Defence. Protesters have targeted the base on the North York Moors which has been earmarked by the United States government to play a key role in its "Son of Star Wars" missile defence system. Wing Commander Chris Knapman said he hoped the tour would dispel some of the myths surrounding the base. Pyramid-shaped radar He said: "There is the perception that we are some sort of secret listening station or that we have missiles here and that we are doing something particularly underhand. "We have a very clear military mission which is to provide missile warning for the UK and United States." The base was first opened in 1962 as a ballistic missile early warning system. It now has a secondary duty of detecting, reporting and tracking satellite launches and orbits. The station was originally famous for its three golf-ball shaped radars, which were replaced in 1980 with a pyramid-shaped radar. Earlier this week, it was announced that an investigation is to be carried out into whether people living near the base suffer increased rates of cancer after
fears were raised in the BBC One programme Inside Out. |
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