Shoal Bay Receiving Station
| Shoal Bay Receiving Station | |
|---|---|
| 17 km (11 mi) from Darwin | |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | Australian Signals Directorate |
| Open to the public |
No |
Shoal Bay Receiving Station is a signals intelligence-gathering facility, located on the shores of Shoal Bay, 17 kilometres (11 mi) from Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory. The site is managed by the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD).
History[edit]
One of the major purposes of the station has been to intercept and monitor Indonesian satellite communications and gather intelligence on the activities of the Indonesian military. The station was a major source of intelligence on the role played by the Indonesian military and associated militia groups in the violence in East Timor following the 1999 Referendum of Independence.[1] The site may also have intercepted conversations regarding the planned murder of Australian journalists in East Timor by the Indonesian military, in 1975, prior to the killings taking place.[2]
The site is suspected to be a part of the global SIGINT network ECHELON, operated under the UKUSA Agreement. It is also a major contributor to the U.S. National Security Agency's surveillance program codenamed XKeyscore.[3]
Facilities[edit]
As of 2005, the Shoal Bay Receiving Station operated 17 antennas.[4]
While the ASD manages the site, it is staffed by a combination of Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and civilian personnel. As of 2007 it had a staff of 73 personnel, which was lower than the staffing of 85 personnel in 2005 and 120 to 150 personnel during the East Timor crisis in 1999.[4]
Bureau of Meteorology[edit]
The Bureau of Meteorology installed 3 weather satellite receiving antenna systems at Shoal Bay in October 2016 through a subcontractor, Av-Comm. According to Av-Comm, these accessed China’s Feng Yun-2 series of geostationary satellites, Feng Yun 2E and Feng Yun 2G as well as Japan Meteorological Agency’s HimawariCast service broadcast from a Himawari 8 Satellite.[5]
See also[edit]
- Pine Gap, near Alice Springs
- Australian Defence Satellite Communications Station, at Geraldton
- HMAS Harman, outside Canberra
- Waihopai Station
- BoM's Crib Point Satellite Earth Station at HMAS Cerberus Naval Base
References[edit]
- ^ "Cuban American National Foundation - CANF". www.canf.org. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^ "Balibo Killings 1975 and Intelligence Handling – A Report of an Inquiry by the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security". Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Annual Report 2001–2002. Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008.
- ^ Philip Dorling. "Snowden reveals Australia's links to US spy web". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
- ^ a b "Shoal Bay Receiving Station". Nautilus Institute Australia. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
- ^ "Bureau of Meteorology's Darwin Weather Data Earth Station | Av-Comm". Av-Comm. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
Coordinates: 12°21′32″S 130°58′56″E / 12.3588°S 130.9822°E
