Mystery of concrete ring 'solved after 30 years'
Summary
A large concrete ring on the Suffolk coast, built during the Cold War, has been identified as part of a radar system designed to detect nuclear explosions and rocket launches. Researchers confirmed the ring was part of the U.S. Air Force’s R-System radar, used in the 1960s and later replaced by satellites.Key Facts
- The concrete ring is 50 meters (164 feet) wide and is located at Orford Ness, Suffolk.
- It was built by the U.S. Air Force in the early 1960s.
- The ring supported a steerable helical transmitter to detect nuclear explosions and rocket launches from thousands of miles away.
- The radar system is called the R-System and was part of Cold War intelligence gathering.
- Only about eight similar concrete rings were made worldwide.
- Researchers Steve Clifton and Olaf Kirchner met Ed Lyon, the creator of the R-System, who confirmed the ring’s purpose.
- The R-System was eventually replaced by satellite technology by the end of the 1960s.
- Orford Ness was a secret military testing site used during both World Wars and the nuclear age, now managed by the National Trust.
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