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05
Mar 2022
RAF Menwith Hill on the outskirts of Harrogate is reportedly the United States' largest overseas surveillance base.
It was built in the late 1950s during the height of the Cold War when America hoped espionage would give it the upper hand over the Soviet Union.
Over the last two decades, the base has been a key intelligence outpost for the War on Terror, with Edward Snowden's leaks alleging it has provided intelligence that led to deadly drone strikes in the Middle East.
With Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, the base is expected to be playing a role in intelligence gathering that support military operations against Vladimir Putin's army.
Richard Norton-Taylor is a veteran journalist who wrote for the Guardian about defence and security from 1975 to 2016. He reported on RAF Menwith Hill throughout that time and continues to do so.
The Stray Ferret spoke to Mr Norton-Taylor about what role Menwith Hill might be playing in the invasion.
He added:
The Snowden leaks revealed the base collects vast streams of information that is sent back to NSA headquarters in Maryland, USA.
But how much of this information is actually useful is unknown.
Mr Norton-Taylor said:
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said:
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