RAF
Greenham Common was located in Berkshire, south east of Newbury, about 50 miles
(80km) west of London. It was opened in 1942 and during World War Two served
both the RAF and USAF.
After WW2
it was operated by the American Air Force Strategic Air Command. Medium sized American bombers were staioned
at the airfield, though the runways were strengthened to handle B52's. In 1968
the base transferred to the US Air Force in Europe and became the main location
for the United States Military Postal Mail.
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| Control Tower Greenham Common |
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| Control Tower Greenham Common |
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| Runway Greenham Common |
Greenham
Common gained it's notoriety in 1980 when it was announced that RAF Greenham
Common would become the first cruise missile site in Britain.
Over the
next three years the Ground Launch Cruise Missiles (GLCM) Alert and Maintenance
Area – GAMA was constructed. This was a maximum security Quick Reaction Alert
area with 6 large above ground bunkers where operational cruise missiles were
stored. The shelters were built to withstand a 1,100 kg (2,500 lb) conventional
bomb, or an air burst nuclear explosion above the base. The first missiles
arrived in November 1983 under the control of the 501st Tactical
Missile Wing. |
| Greenham Common Bunkers |
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| Greenham Common Bunker |
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| Greenham Common Bunker behind security fence |
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| Greenham Common Bunker |
The
deployment of Cruise Missiles raised wide spread protest and over 40 Peace
Camps were established around the bases perimeter.
The
bunkers each contained 2 Launch Control Centres and 4 Transport Erector
launchers which would be deployed to firing locations once an alert was
ordered. The missiles were an intermediate ballistic missile which was targeted
on the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries.
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| Cruise Missile Launcher |
The BM109G GLCM carried a nuclear war head with a yield of 200kt and had a range of 2,500 km (1,600 miles). Flying at subsonic speed of 800km per hour (500 mph), and was capable of hitting Moscow within 4 minutes of launching.
A 200kt was smaller than the bombs used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki which measured 250kt.
In 1986 at a summit in Reykjavik, Iceland, President Ronald Regan of the USA and General Secretary of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev agreed to limit the number of nuclear war heads resulting in treaty being signed in 1987.
The treaty led to the removal of all nuclear weapons from the base, the last weapon leaving in March 1991. In September of that year the US Air Force returned the airfield to the Ministry of Defence who declared it surplus to requirements. And it was put up for sale.
Peace Camps remained at Greenham till 2000 to ensure that no further deployment of nuclear missiles took place.