MOD Hebrides

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MOD Hebrides
South Uist Missile Range, Hebrides Range
Scotland
Radar, Mullach Mor - geograph.org.uk - 1442026.jpg
Radar installation for missile tracking at Mullach Mòr on Hirta, part of St Kilda, in April 2009
Outer Hebrides UK location map.svg
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MOD Hebrides
Location of MOD Hebrides within Outer Hebrides
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MOD Hebrides
MOD Hebrides (the United Kingdom)
Coordinates 57°28′15.77″N7°22′36.89″W / 57.4710472°N 7.3769139°W / 57.4710472; -7.3769139
TypeMissile Range
Site information
Owner QinetiQ
OperatorQinetiq
Controlled byEnsign of the Royal Air Force.svg  Royal Air Force
Site history
Built1957 (1957)
Built byRAF 5004 Airfield Construction Squadron
Garrison information
GarrisonCongreve House
Airfield information
Elevation2 metres (6 ft 7 in) AMSL

MOD Hebrides is a Ministry of Defence site in the Outer Hebrides operated by QinetiQ. It consists of a deep sea range for complex weapons trials and an inner range for ground-based air defence test and evaluation. It has also been known as the Hebrides Guided Weapon Range and the South Uist Missile Range.

Contents

History

The range was operated by the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), for evaluating new missiles. St Kilda became Scotland's first World Heritage Site in 1987 and is one of the few in the world to hold joint status for both its ecological and cultural significance. [1]

HMS Edinburgh firing a Sea Dart on the range in April 2012 Defence Imagery - Missiles 18.jpg
HMS Edinburgh firing a Sea Dart on the range in April 2012

The site was built in 1957 by the Ministry of Defence to test nuclear missiles. [2] Opposition to the construction of the range resulted in the novel Rockets Galore!, by Sir Compton Mackenzie, which was made into a film, filmed on the island of Barra. Resistance to the building of the range also led to the construction of the religious monument Our Lady of the Isles.

In 2016, it was announced that £180 million was to be invested in the modernisation of the facilities across MoD Hebrides, plus a site in Wales and another in England. [3]

In 2023, Exercise Formidable Shield, designed to test the ballistic missile defence capabilities of NATO and its partner nations, took place at MOD Hebrides Range. A total of more than 4,000 personnel from 13 nations, 20 ships, 35 aircraft, including the Eurofighter Typhoon and F-35 Lightning II, and eight ground units, including radar platforms and the US M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), took part in the biennial exercise. [4] [5] In 2024, the DragonFire laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) was fired during trials at the MOD Hebrides range. [6]

Structure

It is situated in the Outer Hebrides on South Uist and Hirta in the St Kilda Archipelago. [3] The range occupies 115,000 km2 of sanitised airspace with unlimited altitude. The missiles are tracked from St Kilda, Scotland, a now uninhabited island, which is now leased by the Ministry of Defence. The site is run by QinetiQ, a privatised former division of the MoD. [7]

Tracking station on St Kilda in August 2006 Blotonstkilda.jpg
Tracking station on St Kilda in August 2006

The facilities include: [8]

See also

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References

  1. Marklew, Philip (12 January 2022). "QinetiQ completes £40m sustainability upgrade in St Kilda". AGN. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  2. "East Anglian Film Archive". Archived from the original on 4 October 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Millions to be invested in Hebrides weapons range". BBC News. 2 December 2016. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  4. "Outer Hebrides missile defence exercise brings NATO together". GOV.UK. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  5. Editor (28 June 2023). "Exercise FORMIDABLE SHIELD Successful ASTER Firings". Joint Forces News. Retrieved 23 November 2024.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  6. "MOD tests high-power laser weapon on aerial targets". www.imeche.org. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  7. "MOD Hebrides (including St Kilda)". 23 November 2024.
  8. "UK Space Facilities MOD / QinetiQ LTPA Ranges and Facilities - MoD Hebrides Range". www.ukspacefacilities.stfc.ac.uk. Retrieved 23 November 2024.