Bad Aibling Station

Bad Aibling Station
Part of the BND
Located in Bad Aibling, Bavaria, Germany
Radomes of Bad Aibling Station
Bad Aibling Station is located in Bavaria
Bad Aibling Station
Bad Aibling Station
Bad Aibling Station is located in Germany
Bad Aibling Station
Bad Aibling Station
Coordinates47°52′46″N 11°59′04″E / 47.879444°N 11.984444°E / 47.879444; 11.984444
TypeSignals and data gathering
Height492 m (1614 ft)
Site information
OwnerBND
Open to
the public
no
Conditiondismantled, relocated
Site history
Built1936/1952
In use1952–2004
Demolished2004

The Bad Aibling Station (BAS), also known as the 18th United States Army Security Agency Field Station, Field station 81, and Hortensie III is a satellite tracking station operated by the German SIGINT agency BND from nearby Mangfall Barracks in Bad Aibling, Bavaria.[1]

Created by the Western Allies in 1947, it had been operated by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) until the early 2000s as operations have been transferred to the BND at Bad Aibling Station closure.[2]

As part of the global surveillance network ECHELON, Bad Aibling used to be one of the larger listening posts outside the USA and equalled its counterparts RAF Menwith Hill (UK), the Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap (AUS) and CFS Leitrim (CDN).

  1. ^ Center for Cryptologic History: "Bad Aibling Station - A Legacy of Excellence"
  2. ^ David Ruppe. "U.S. to Close Eavesdropping Post". ABC News. Retrieved 21 December 2013.