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What goes on at Pine Gap
Words: Debra KillaleaProducer: Andrew Piva
It’s considered one of the country’s most secretive and strategically important sites. But unless you work at Pine Gap, your knowledge about it is probably fairly limited.
The facility, which started operating in 1966, maintains as big a presence in Central Australia as Uluru. Here's what we know about it.
Run by both Australia and the United States, the facility’s official name is the Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap.
What and where is it?
Located about 20km from Alice Springs, the site is considered strategically vital by both the US and Australian governments.
The site has attracted the odd conspiracy theory or two, but contrary to some ideas, it has nothing to do with flying saucers, nor does it contain dozens of elaborate tunnels.
There are no UFOs
In short, Pine Gap collects a huge amount of data from signals intelligence, as well as providing early warning information on ballistic missile launches.
The one thing researchers know does exist inside the facility is a huge amount of computing power.
There's a lot of data
The floor space of the site’s computer room has reportedly grown massively since the 1970s and now takes up a room the size of the entire playing field of the MCG.
Unless you work at Pine Gap, or possess special invisible powers, chances are you won’t get too close to it before you're caught.
You can't get near it
But Melbourne-based photographer Kristian Laemmle-Ruff got closer than most when he snapped a series of photos of the facility in 2015.
He said security around the facility was very tight, and that the average person would be lucky to get within a kilometre of it.
While some groups argue Pine Gap and its value to the US makes us a target, the Australian Government maintains its presence here is crucial.
The Aus Govt loves it
A Defence Department spokesman said it made an important contribution to our national security.
It provides intelligence on priorities such as terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and foreign military capability and weapons developments.
DEFENCE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN
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Original URL: https://www.ntnews.com.au/web-stories/free/nt-news/all-you-need-to-know-about-pine-gap-military-base-near-alice-springs