GLOBUS: Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox military installation |
{{Infobox military installation |
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| name = GLOBUS |
| name = GLOBUS |
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| location = [[Vardø]] |
| location = [[Vardø (town)|Vardø]] |
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| country = [[Norway]] |
| country = [[Norway]] |
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| image = GLOBUS radar station above Vardø, Norway.jpg |
| image = GLOBUS radar station above Vardø, Norway.jpg |
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| built = <!-- {{Start date|YYYY}} --> |
| built = <!-- {{Start date|YYYY}} --> |
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| used = {{Start date|1988}}–present |
| used = {{Start date|1988}}–present |
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| website = https://www. |
| website = https://www.etterretningstjenesten.no/aktuelt/aktuelt/oppgradering-av-globus-systemet?q=Globus |
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}} |
}} |
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⚫ | '''GLOBUS''' is a radar system in the town of [[Vardø (town)|Vardø]] in [[Vardø Municipality]], [[Finnmark]] county, Norway. It is operated by the [[Norwegian Intelligence Service]] (NIS) and its official uses are primarily space observation and Arctic airspace monitoring for Norway's national interest, though the site's close proximity to known Russian naval bases as well as U.S. involvement in construction and funding have fueled suspicions that it also serves as part of an American missile defense system. |
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⚫ | '''GLOBUS''' is a radar system in [[Vardø]] |
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==History== |
==History== |
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===Cold War and Globus I=== |
===Cold War and Globus I=== |
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Norway and the United States, both founding members of the newly-formed [[NATO]], began cooperation on the GLOBUS project during the [[Cold War]] era of the 1950s.<ref name="newsweek" /> By 1988, the Globus I radar array was built and operational in the town of [[Vardø]], just {{convert|50|km|mi|abbr=on}} from the border between Norway and the Soviet Union<ref name="moscow-times">{{cite news |last1=Saradzhyan |first1=Simon |title=Russia Says U.S. Radar Violates ABM Treaty |url= |
Norway and the United States, both founding members of the newly-formed [[NATO]], began cooperation on the GLOBUS project during the [[Cold War]] era of the 1950s.<ref name="newsweek" /> By 1988, the Globus I radar array was built and operational in the town of [[Vardø (town)|Vardø]], just {{convert|50|km|mi|abbr=on}} from the border between Norway and the Soviet Union<ref name="moscow-times">{{cite news |last1=Saradzhyan |first1=Simon |title=Russia Says U.S. Radar Violates ABM Treaty |url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/archive/russia-says-us-radar-violates-abm-treaty |access-date=23 December 2020 |publisher=The Moscow Times |date=15 March 2000 }}</ref> and within visible range of the [[Kola Peninsula]], which is known to contain high-security Russian naval bases.<ref name="NYT" /> This came within the same year that the U.S. condemned the deployment of a large Soviet radar array near [[Krasnoyarsk]], claiming that this violated the 1972 [[Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty]].<ref>{{cite news |title=New Hard Line Ties A-Arms Cut, Razing of Soviet Radar Site |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-08-31-mn-1309-story.html |access-date=23 December 2020 |agency=United Press International |work=Los Angeles Times |date=31 August 1988}}</ref> |
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===Globus II=== |
===Globus II=== |
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| related = |
| related = |
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}} |
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Originally known as HAVE STARE |
Originally known as HAVE STARE, the Globus II radar was built by the [[Raytheon Company]] at [[Vandenberg Air Force Base]], [[California]] and became operational in 1995. It is designated AN/FPS-129 according to the U.S. military's [[Joint Electronics Type Designation System]], as it is the 19th design of an Army-Navy “Fixed, Radar, Search” electronic device.<ref name=Winkler1997>{{cite book|last=Winkler|first=David F.|title=Searching the Skies: The Legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program|chapter=Radar Systems Classification Methods|page=73|publisher=United States Air Force Headquarters Air Combat Command|location=Langley AFB, Virginia|year=1997|lccn=97020912|url=https://nuke.fas.org/guide/usa/airdef/1997-06-01955.pdf}}</ref> Although the cost of the radar is classified, it is believed to have cost more than US$100 million.<ref name="storm" /> In 1999 Raytheon moved the array to Vardø, Norway in fulfillment of a US$23.5 million contract with the [[U.S. Defense Department]] and operations resumed under Norwegian control in 2001.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nilsen |first1=Thomas |title=Claims Vardø radar can be used in missile defence system |url=https://barentsobserver.com/en/security/claims-vardo-radar-can-be-used-missile-defence-system |publisher=The Barents Observer |access-date=23 December 2020 |date=17 November 2011}}</ref> |
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===Globus III=== |
===Globus III=== |
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==Purpose and controversy== |
==Purpose and controversy== |
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The site is administrated by NIS |
The site is administrated by NIS and operated by Norwegian personnel only. Their website officially states that the radar is used to:<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gulbrandsen |first1=Kim |title=Modernization of the radar system in Vardø |url=https://www.forsvaret.no/aktuelt-og-presse/arkiv/aktuelt/modernisering-av-radaranlegget-i-vardo |publisher=Norwegian Intelligence Service |access-date=20 July 2023 |language=no |date=6 April 2016}}</ref> |
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*Monitor, track and categorize objects in space |
*Monitor, track and categorize objects in space |
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*Monitor our national area of interest in the north |
*Monitor our national area of interest in the north |
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*Carry out collection of data for national use in research and development |
*Carry out collection of data for national use in research and development |
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The installation is |
The installation is included as a dedicated sensor in the world-wide [[United States Space Surveillance Network]] for tracking objects orbiting Earth. [[Raytheon]], the company that built Globus II, previously described it on their website as a radar "originally designed to collect intelligence data against ballistic missiles". The website has since been removed by request of the [[US DoD]].<ref>{{cite web |author1=Raytheon Systems Company |author-link1=Raytheon |title=AN/FPS-129 HAVE STARE |url=https://www.armscontrol.ru/start/docs/HaveStareRaytheonWebPage.pdf |publisher=Center for Arms Control, Energy and Environmental Studies |access-date=27 May 2016 |date=15 November 1999}}</ref><ref name="Uncovering Vardø">{{cite journal |last=Sellevåg |first=Inge |title=Vardø Exposed |pages=26–29 |journal=[[Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists]] |volume=56 |issue=2 |date=March–April 2000 |url=http://thebulletin.org/2000/march/national-missile-defense-vard%C3%B8-exposed |doi=10.1080/00963402.2000.11456939 |bibcode=2000BuAtS..56b..26S |s2cid=218769850 |access-date=2020-12-16 |archive-date=2014-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726034436/http://thebulletin.org/2000/march/national-missile-defense-vard%C3%B8-exposed |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
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In April 1998, a Norwegian journalist, Inge Sellevåg, from the daily newspaper ''[[Bergens Tidende]]'' discovered that NASA had no knowledge of a new radar being added to the system, despite the Globus II nearing operational condition. This led her to suspect it had other purposes, and Sellevåg discovered that it was also going to be used for national purposes such as intelligence gathering.<ref name="Uncovering Vardø" /> |
In April 1998, a Norwegian journalist, Inge Sellevåg, from the daily newspaper ''[[Bergens Tidende]]'' discovered that NASA had no knowledge of a new radar being added to the system, despite the Globus II nearing operational condition. This led her to suspect it had other purposes, and Sellevåg discovered that it was also going to be used for national purposes such as intelligence gathering.<ref name="Uncovering Vardø" /> |
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In March 2017, nine Russian bombers took off from Russia's nearby [[Kola Peninsula]] and executed a mock air strike against the radar station, flying in attack formation and turning back just before breaching Norwegian airspace.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nilsen |first1=Thomas |title=Norway says Russia's mock attack on Vardø radar troubles stability in the north |url=https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/security/2018/03/oslo-such-behavior-does-not-promote-good-neighborly-relations |publisher=The Barents Observer |access-date=21 December 2020 |date=13 March 2018}}</ref> Then in February of the following year, a very similar mock strike was carried out by eleven Russian fighter jets.<ref name="russia-warns" /> |
In March 2017, nine Russian bombers took off from Russia's nearby [[Kola Peninsula]] and executed a mock air strike against the radar station, flying in attack formation and turning back just before breaching Norwegian airspace.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nilsen |first1=Thomas |title=Norway says Russia's mock attack on Vardø radar troubles stability in the north |url=https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/security/2018/03/oslo-such-behavior-does-not-promote-good-neighborly-relations |publisher=The Barents Observer |access-date=21 December 2020 |date=13 March 2018}}</ref> Then in February of the following year, a very similar mock strike was carried out by eleven Russian fighter jets.<ref name="russia-warns" /> |
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Regarding the GLOBUS system, Russian spokesperson [[Maria Zakharova]] stated in 2019 "There is every reason to believe that the radar will monitor precisely the territory of the Russian Federation and will become part of the US missile defense system" and added "It seems obvious to me that military preparations near Russian or any other borders cannot be ignored by our or other countries. We presume that we will take response measures to ensure our own security."<ref name="russia-warns">{{cite web |last1=Nilsen |first1=Thomas |title=Moscow threatens response against Norwegian radar near Russian border |url=https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/security/2019/05/russia-warns-it-will-take-measures-response-new-spy-near-border-radar-arctic-norway |publisher=The Barents Observer |access-date=21 December 2020 |date=23 May 2019}}</ref><ref name="newsweek">{{cite web |last1=O'Connor |first1=Tom |title=Russia Will 'Take Measures' Against U.S. Radar Near Its Border, Thought to Be Part of Missile Defense |url=https://www.newsweek.com/russia-us-radar-norway-defense-1434756 |publisher=Newsweek |access-date=22 December 2020 |date=23 May 2019}}</ref> Shortly after these statements Russia deployed a [[Bal missile]] system to the [[Sredny Peninsula]], just 70 |
Regarding the GLOBUS system, Russian spokesperson [[Maria Zakharova]] stated in 2019 "There is every reason to believe that the radar will monitor precisely the territory of the Russian Federation and will become part of the US missile defense system" and added "It seems obvious to me that military preparations near Russian or any other borders cannot be ignored by our or other countries. We presume that we will take response measures to ensure our own security."<ref name="russia-warns">{{cite web |last1=Nilsen |first1=Thomas |title=Moscow threatens response against Norwegian radar near Russian border |url=https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/security/2019/05/russia-warns-it-will-take-measures-response-new-spy-near-border-radar-arctic-norway |publisher=The Barents Observer |access-date=21 December 2020 |date=23 May 2019}}</ref><ref name="newsweek">{{cite web |last1=O'Connor |first1=Tom |title=Russia Will 'Take Measures' Against U.S. Radar Near Its Border, Thought to Be Part of Missile Defense |url=https://www.newsweek.com/russia-us-radar-norway-defense-1434756 |publisher=Newsweek |access-date=22 December 2020 |date=23 May 2019}}</ref> Shortly after these statements Russia deployed a [[Bal missile]] system to the [[Sredny Peninsula]], just {{convert|70|km}} from Vardø.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nilsen |first1=Thomas |title=Russia deploys missile system 70 km from Norway's Vardø radar |url=https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/security/2019/08/russia-deploys-bastion-missile-system-70-km-norways-vardo-radar |publisher=The Barents Observer |access-date=30 December 2020 |date=7 August 2019}}</ref> |
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==Technical description== |
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According to the U.S. Department of Defense in 2022, "The GLOBUS program is a dual band ground-based radar system consisting of an S-band solid state phased array, an X-band dish antenna, an Integrated System Controller (ISC), and a Mission Communications Suite (MCS) hosted at an Outside Continental United States ([[OCONUS]]) location. The [[S band|S-band]] sensor is mounted on an [[azimuth]]-only pedestal, housed in a new facility. The [[X band|X-band]] sensor is a large aperture dish mounted on an elevation/azimuth pedestal. Each sensor may operate independently or cooperatively under the control of the ISC."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Blinde |first1=Loren |title=USAF posts GLOBUS RFI |url=https://intelligencecommunitynews.com/usaf-posts-globus-rfi/ |website=Intelligence Community News |access-date=3 December 2023 |date=23 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Request for Information: FA8555-22-R-GLOBUS |url=https://sam.gov/opp/88b8532ddf9c42b4bf32638f4d34fc93/view |website=SAM.GOV |access-date=3 December 2023 |date=22 February 2022}}</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{Reflist}} |
{{Reflist}} |
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==See also== |
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{{Portal|Electronics}} |
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*[[List of radars]] |
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*[[List of military electronics of the United States]] |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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[[Category:Military equipment introduced in the 1980s]] |
[[Category:Military equipment introduced in the 1980s]] |
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[[Category:Military installations in |
[[Category:Military installations in Finnmark]] |
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[[Category:Missile defense]] |
[[Category:Missile defense]] |
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[[Category:United States Space Surveillance Network]] |
[[Category:United States Space Surveillance Network]] |
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[[Category:Vardø]] |
[[Category:Vardø]] |
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[[Category:Military electronics of the United States]] |
Latest revision as of 02:24, 26 December 2024
GLOBUS | |
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Vardø in Norway | |
Coordinates | 70°22′02″N 31°07′40″E / 70.3671°N 31.1278°E |
Type | Radar station |
Site information | |
Owner | Norwegian Intelligence Service |
Website | https://www.etterretningstjenesten.no/aktuelt/aktuelt/oppgradering-av-globus-systemet?q=Globus |
Site history | |
In use | 1988 | –present
GLOBUS is a radar system in the town of Vardø in Vardø Municipality, Finnmark county, Norway. It is operated by the Norwegian Intelligence Service (NIS) and its official uses are primarily space observation and Arctic airspace monitoring for Norway's national interest, though the site's close proximity to known Russian naval bases as well as U.S. involvement in construction and funding have fueled suspicions that it also serves as part of an American missile defense system.
History
[edit]Cold War and Globus I
[edit]Norway and the United States, both founding members of the newly-formed NATO, began cooperation on the GLOBUS project during the Cold War era of the 1950s.[1] By 1988, the Globus I radar array was built and operational in the town of Vardø, just 50 km (31 mi) from the border between Norway and the Soviet Union[2] and within visible range of the Kola Peninsula, which is known to contain high-security Russian naval bases.[3] This came within the same year that the U.S. condemned the deployment of a large Soviet radar array near Krasnoyarsk, claiming that this violated the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.[4]
Globus II
[edit]Country of origin | U.S. (now in Norway) |
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Manufacturer | Raytheon Company |
Introduced | 1995 |
Type | Cassegrain feed antenna[5] |
Frequency | X band, 9.5 – 10.5 GHz |
Beamwidth | <0.1° |
Range | 40,000 km (25,000 mi) |
Power | 200 kW |
Other Names | HAVE STARE, AN/FPS-129 |
Originally known as HAVE STARE, the Globus II radar was built by the Raytheon Company at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California and became operational in 1995. It is designated AN/FPS-129 according to the U.S. military's Joint Electronics Type Designation System, as it is the 19th design of an Army-Navy “Fixed, Radar, Search” electronic device.[6] Although the cost of the radar is classified, it is believed to have cost more than US$100 million.[7] In 1999 Raytheon moved the array to Vardø, Norway in fulfillment of a US$23.5 million contract with the U.S. Defense Department and operations resumed under Norwegian control in 2001.[8]
Globus III
[edit]In 2016 construction began on a new array dubbed the Globus III to replace Globus I and work in concert with Globus II.[9][3] The new radar was estimated to cost US$121 million.[citation needed] On 13 February 2018 it was reported that the local population felt misled about the size of the radar. The construction work was shrouded in secrecy, and many locals were critical, but they were reluctant to speak out because the project brought sorely needed employment to the community.[10] Testing was set to begin in autumn of 2018 with an expected operational date of 2022.[3]
Purpose and controversy
[edit]The site is administrated by NIS and operated by Norwegian personnel only. Their website officially states that the radar is used to:[11]
- Monitor, track and categorize objects in space
- Monitor our national area of interest in the north
- Carry out collection of data for national use in research and development
The installation is included as a dedicated sensor in the world-wide United States Space Surveillance Network for tracking objects orbiting Earth. Raytheon, the company that built Globus II, previously described it on their website as a radar "originally designed to collect intelligence data against ballistic missiles". The website has since been removed by request of the US DoD.[12][13]
In April 1998, a Norwegian journalist, Inge Sellevåg, from the daily newspaper Bergens Tidende discovered that NASA had no knowledge of a new radar being added to the system, despite the Globus II nearing operational condition. This led her to suspect it had other purposes, and Sellevåg discovered that it was also going to be used for national purposes such as intelligence gathering.[13]
In 2000, during a storm, the radome was torn off and uncovered the Globus II radar dish. At that time it was pointing directly towards Russia. A local newspaper editor commented: "I'm not an expert, but I thought space was in the sky." Official comments claimed that the radar was still being tested and that it being pointed towards Russia was a pure coincidence. NIS official Tom Rykkin stated "if you use a small part of the brain, you know this also has an intelligence mission. ... In the intelligence business, there are certain things you don't make public. It is the nature of the business."[7] The Russian Defense Ministry raised complaints that the radar installation violates the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and were supported in this claim by missile defense expert Theodore Postol of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[2]
In March 2017, nine Russian bombers took off from Russia's nearby Kola Peninsula and executed a mock air strike against the radar station, flying in attack formation and turning back just before breaching Norwegian airspace.[14] Then in February of the following year, a very similar mock strike was carried out by eleven Russian fighter jets.[15] Regarding the GLOBUS system, Russian spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated in 2019 "There is every reason to believe that the radar will monitor precisely the territory of the Russian Federation and will become part of the US missile defense system" and added "It seems obvious to me that military preparations near Russian or any other borders cannot be ignored by our or other countries. We presume that we will take response measures to ensure our own security."[15][1] Shortly after these statements Russia deployed a Bal missile system to the Sredny Peninsula, just 70 kilometres (43 mi) from Vardø.[16]
Technical description
[edit]According to the U.S. Department of Defense in 2022, "The GLOBUS program is a dual band ground-based radar system consisting of an S-band solid state phased array, an X-band dish antenna, an Integrated System Controller (ISC), and a Mission Communications Suite (MCS) hosted at an Outside Continental United States (OCONUS) location. The S-band sensor is mounted on an azimuth-only pedestal, housed in a new facility. The X-band sensor is a large aperture dish mounted on an elevation/azimuth pedestal. Each sensor may operate independently or cooperatively under the control of the ISC."[17][18]
References
[edit]- ^ a b O'Connor, Tom (23 May 2019). "Russia Will 'Take Measures' Against U.S. Radar Near Its Border, Thought to Be Part of Missile Defense". Newsweek. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
- ^ a b Saradzhyan, Simon (15 March 2000). "Russia Says U.S. Radar Violates ABM Treaty". The Moscow Times. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
- ^ a b c Higgins, Andrew (13 June 2017). "On a Tiny Norwegian Island, America Keeps an Eye on Russia". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
- ^ "New Hard Line Ties A-Arms Cut, Razing of Soviet Radar Site". Los Angeles Times. United Press International. 31 August 1988. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
- ^ "A GLOBUS II / HAVE STARE SOURCEBOOK" (PDF). Federation of American Scientists. 20 September 2013. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
- ^ Winkler, David F. (1997). "Radar Systems Classification Methods". Searching the Skies: The Legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program (PDF). Langley AFB, Virginia: United States Air Force Headquarters Air Combat Command. p. 73. LCCN 97020912.
- ^ a b Higgins, Andrew (6 June 2000). "How A Storm Spread A Cold War Chill". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
- ^ Nilsen, Thomas (17 November 2011). "Claims Vardø radar can be used in missile defence system". The Barents Observer. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
- ^ "Modernisering av radaranlegget i Vardø" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Armed Forces. April 6, 2016. Archived from the original on 14 June 2017.
- ^ Wormdal, Bård (13 February 2018). "Lokalbefolkningen raser mot feilinformasjon om ny topphemmelig radar". NRK (in Norwegian).
- ^ Gulbrandsen, Kim (6 April 2016). "Modernization of the radar system in Vardø" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Intelligence Service. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
- ^ Raytheon Systems Company (15 November 1999). "AN/FPS-129 HAVE STARE" (PDF). Center for Arms Control, Energy and Environmental Studies. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
- ^ a b Sellevåg, Inge (March–April 2000). "Vardø Exposed". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 56 (2): 26–29. Bibcode:2000BuAtS..56b..26S. doi:10.1080/00963402.2000.11456939. S2CID 218769850. Archived from the original on 2014-07-26. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
- ^ Nilsen, Thomas (13 March 2018). "Norway says Russia's mock attack on Vardø radar troubles stability in the north". The Barents Observer. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
- ^ a b Nilsen, Thomas (23 May 2019). "Moscow threatens response against Norwegian radar near Russian border". The Barents Observer. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
- ^ Nilsen, Thomas (7 August 2019). "Russia deploys missile system 70 km from Norway's Vardø radar". The Barents Observer. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
- ^ Blinde, Loren (23 February 2022). "USAF posts GLOBUS RFI". Intelligence Community News. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ "Request for Information: FA8555-22-R-GLOBUS". SAM.GOV. 22 February 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
See also
[edit]External links
[edit]- A GLOBUS II / HAVE STARE SOURCEBOOK, Federation of American Scientists
- AN/FPS-129 HAVE STARE X-Band Dish radar, GlobalSecurity.org
- "Pentagons øye?" [The Pentagon's eye?]. Brennpunkt (in Norwegian). NRK. 11 October 2005.