Re: Pads near Cockeyed Ridge South East of Groom



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Message posted by Joerg (Webmaster) (Member since 10/17/2000) on July 04, 2022 at 11:33:03 PST:

I think you nailed it with #2. The terrain is used as a natural shield for RF leakage. Either because its nature is sensitive or because its level is dangerous. Given how far the site is from any other structure I believe the former is the case.

I looked at this a few days ago. The way the site is located there are only two directions that RF could escape (and in which the sites would be effective as radar): Due east into the valley north of Papoose Lake or NNW in the direction of Kawich Lake and range 74.

I am somewhat puzzled by the location of the west pad. If we assume that the intended direction of the radar was towards range 74 the view of that airspace from the west pad is partially blocked by the hill NW of it. It would have been easy to locate the pads a few feet further east for a clear shot.

If the target direction is due east, into the Groom airspace north of Papoose Lake, the two sites would be in line. Having the site on the east pad in the signal path of the site on the west pad would likely interfere with the operation. But then, maybe having the sites lined up like that is needed for whatever radar was tested there.

The more I think about it the more I am leaning towards the direction of detection, where the test subject would be flying, was east.

As a side note, RF shielding is also the most likely reason for the berm east of the 2007 hangar.


In Reply to: Re: Pads near Cockeyed Ridge South East of Groom posted by Skeet on July 04, 2022 at 4:00:05 PST:

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