Inception of SATCOM: 1969

Commissioned in 1969 (the same year that the first SATCOM satellite was launched) and activated in 1970, this base was an important control terminal in NATO’s international network. It facilitated a plethora of military radio transmissions for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

There were 24 of these satellite communication facilities located in NATO countries across the world, in addition to many mobile units. This particular site was finally decommissioned in 2012 after more than 40 years in operation. Its centrepiece was its satellite uplink dish, a giant structure (housed in a radar dome) whose bowl was 40 feet in diameter. At its peak, “Braams” was continually manned by a staff of 30 soldiers - most of them working as radio technicians.

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