Nexus - 0105 - New Times Magazine-pages

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According to Ball, “the station is quite | encrypt the signal, most of this data is still | been put in place, Des Ball considers that simply compatible with Australian sover- | extremely valuable for verification of SALT | “there now seems no reason to disbelieve that eignty... the station doesnot have tobe located | agreements on offensive missiles. the Australian Government is not fully ap- in Australia in order to perform its communi- Radar intelligence is linked to the Anti- | praised of all aspects of the US geostationary cations functions. The US shouid therefore be | Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty. Since 1974 | SIGINT satellite program, at least insofar as given notice that the North West Cape agree- | there have been four alleged Soviet violations | Pine Gap is involved, and that Australian of- ment will expire in 1988.” of this treaty over size, mobility and location | ficers do not fully participate in all the deci- rd of their radars. Getting the data for verifica- | sion-making and day-to-day operations of Pine Gap tion of this arms control treaty also invoives | Pine Gap.” Pine Gap. : * * Des Ball finds the arguments for and against The other two categories are Soviet satel- Controversial View Pine Gap more finely balanced. Itis anespio- | Hte-to-ground- communication, which is As the most respected Australian analyst, nage base designed and operated to gather | largely encrypted - and radio and telephone | Ball’s conclusions have to be taken very seri- signals intelligence (SIGINT), primarily from | message traffic from Soviet, Chinese, and | ously. His arguments for the closure of North the Soviet Union, but unavoidably from else- | Southeast Asian areas - among others. Al- | West Cape and Nurrungar will find wide where. Atissue is the capability of geostation- | though these satellites are not directed against | agreement, but his view on Pine Gap will be ary SIGINT satellites, their value to the arms | Australian communications (confirmed by | more controversial. control process and the “unique importance of | former Australian Pine Gap employees criti- Technological trends will make SIGINT a ground station in central Australia for effi- | cal of management), there is always the | satellites and Pine Gap more important - un- cient and secure control” of these satellites. chance of Australian transmissions being | like Nurrungar - and deep cuts in strategic Pine gap was established as part of the | collected. So the real question is “What hap- | nuclear forces depends on reliable verifica- Rhyolite Program run by the CIA’s satellite | pens to the recordings of the Australian trans- | tion. This is currently only provided by the coordinating agency, the National Recon- | missions - are they destroyed, or passed back | SIGINT program. Therefore, “it is simply not naisance Office. Since the original Rhyolite | unread tothe Australian intelligence andsecu- | possible to seriously support arms control and satellites, there have been second-generation | rity agencies, or are theyretained and thoseof | disarmament and at the same time argue for (Aquacode) and third-generation (Chalet) | interest read and analysed by the CIA and | the closure of the Pine Gap station.” spacecraft. In January 1985 a Magnum satel- | NSA?” Des Ball believes that radical cuts in the lite - the largest geostationary satellite ever With eight radomes and a huge computer | number of nuclear weapons are now possible. launched - was put into orbit by the space | room (at least), Pine Gap is the fourth largest | Cuts of 90% are being studied on both shuttle Discovery. This satellite probably had | satellite ground station in the world. To relo- | sides. For this sort of disarming to become an antenna 100 metres in diameter, capable of | cate the station would cost over US$2 billion. | reality, Pine gap is presently essential. picking up radios the size of a wristwatch. | Each week there are two Starlifter flights Pine Gap is the most important US SIGINT | through Alice Springs to collect the thousands | A Base for Debate: The US Satellite Station ground station. of reels of SIGINT tape, so no-one can inter- | at Nurrungar, and Pine Gap: Australia and There are four significant categories of | cept transmissions back to the US. the US Geostationary Signals Intelligence signals monitored by these satellites. Teleme- Since the mid-1970s, when allegations of | Satellite Program are both published by try is the electronic flow of datafromamissile | exclusion of Australians from the day-to-day | Allen & Unwin Australia, at $9.95 each. during its flight - engine, fuel, guidance sys- | management of the station were common- tem, etc, Although the Soviets now computer- | place, new administrative arrangements have - Gerard NEXUS New Times Five - Winter 1988 11 Pine Gap - Gerard A ment will expire in 1988.”