BND branch in Gablingen

Aerial view of the Wullenwever antenna in the BND branch in Gablingen

The BND branch office in Gablingen (former BND camouflage designation: Fernmeldstelle Süd der Bundeswehr und Drehpunkt ) is a specialized branch office of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) that processes signals from international telecommunications networks. It is located in the municipality of Gablingen on the former Gersthofen-Gablingen airfield . There is a widely visible Wullenwever antenna on the site .

tasks

The Gablingen branch is the only BND location where shortwave data is recorded. This frequency range is mainly used by the military, but also by insurgents and rebels. Another type of acquisition also takes place. Technically, directional radio , mobile radio and landline phone calls from Gablingen cannot be recorded . This is aimed at certain connections, directions and regions. It is not shared with Five Eyes news services. Targets in Germany are not recorded. The results recorded in Gablingen are controlled and processed by sub-department T2 of the BND in Pullach . Content and metadata are only forwarded there.

Since 1998, there has been no cooperation with a five-eyes state at the site. NSA technicians serviced the BND's own device, but it was purchased from the NSA, without any data leakage being possible due to the nature of the device. The branch is not affiliated with a similar system of a Five Eyes intelligence service.

antenna

The antenna system of the type AN / FLR-9 (Circular Disposed Antenna Array - CDAA) has a diameter of approx. 365 meters and an antenna grid approx. 30 meters high. It enables selective signal acquisition in the frequency ranges 2–6 MHz, 6–18 MHz and 18–32 MHz.

The Gablingen system in stand-alone operation can only determine the direction of one transmitter. To determine its location, additional antennas are required at other locations. In the past, this was done by other AN / FLR-9 antennas, which formed the so-called "Iron Horse" network:

Chicksands , England (dismantled)
Clark AB, Philippines (dismantled)
Elmendorf Air Force Base , Alaska , USA (still functional)
Karamürsel , Turkey (dismantled)
7th Radio Research Field Station / Ramasun Station, Udon Thani Province, Thailand (dismantled)
Misawa AB , Japan (dismantling 2013)
San Vito dei Normanni Air Station , Italy (dismantled)

history

In 1945 the USA took over the 143 hectare area of the Gersthofen-Gablingen airfield. In 1971 the construction of the antenna began. In July 1986 there were 1790 posts at the US Army Field Station Augsburg ( USAFSA ) . It was an agency of the United States Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM). Your NSA cover designation ( SIGINT Activity Designator - SIGAD ) in internal speech and correspondence was: USM-44 . According to its size and importance, it was the main object of the telecommunications and electronic reconnaissance of the USA in West Germany. Her main focus was on land, air and naval forces as well as intelligence and encrypted lines of communication between the Soviet Union , the GDR and other Warsaw contracting states , the strategic missile forces of the Soviet Union . The Field Station had operational branches in Schleswig (USM-44 A) and Bad Aibling (USM-44 F). These were DF detachments.

The Gablingen branch was put into operation on December 10, 1974 by the BND. Until 1998 the system was only used; since then the BND has been the sole user. In June 2014, the BND gave up the armed forces legend of the property.

Web links

Shorthand minutes of the 74th meeting - final version. (PDF) In: German Bundestag : 18th electoral term - 1st committee of inquiry under Article 44 of the Basic Law. November 25, 2015.; accessed on February 15, 2020
Gablingen's wiretapping system poses a riddle. In: Augsburger Allgemeine . August 1, 2011.; accessed on February 15, 2020
Simon Kaminski: US espionage at the gates of Augsburg. In: Augsburger Allgemeine . 2nd July 2013 .; accessed on February 15, 2020
Technical Manual: Operator's, Organizational, Direct Support, General Support, and Depot Maintenance Manual of Antenna Group Countermeasures Receiving Set AN / FLR-9 (V7) / (V8) F&M Systems Co. (PDF) In: Headquarters Department of the Army . May 26, 1976(English, at least still valid for the Wullenvewer antenna).; accessed on February 15, 2020

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Decision recommendation and report of the 1st committee of inquiry according to Article 44 of the Basic Law: Printed matter 18/12850. (PDF) In: German Bundestag : 18th electoral term. June 23, 2017, accessed on February 15, 2020 (pp. 1000–1007).
↑ Our locations: Branch offices for technical clarification. In: Federal Intelligence Service . Retrieved February 15, 2020 .
^ ^A ^b Structure and activity of the telecommunications / electronic espionage department of the secret service of the US land forces INSCOM: Personnel structure of the FSA. In: Headquarters Enlightenment / Department IX / C. July 1986, accessed February 15, 2020 .
↑ Transparency offensive: BND is now giving up some cover names. In: The world . June 6, 2014, accessed February 15, 2020 .

48.451179 10.862646Coordinates: 48 ° 27 ′ 4 " N , 10 ° 51 ′ 46" E

[Bericht1UA-1] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Decision recommendation and report of the 1st committee of inquiry according to Article 44 of the Basic Law: Printed matter 18/12850. (PDF) In: German Bundestag : 18th electoral term. June 23, 2017, accessed on February 15, 2020 (pp. 1000–1007).

[2] Our locations: Branch offices for technical clarification. In: Federal Intelligence Service . Retrieved February 15, 2020 .

[HVA-3] A ^b Structure and activity of the telecommunications / electronic espionage department of the secret service of the US land forces INSCOM: Personnel structure of the FSA. In: Headquarters Enlightenment / Department IX / C. July 1986, accessed February 15, 2020 .

[4] Transparency offensive: BND is now giving up some cover names. In: The world . June 6, 2014, accessed February 15, 2020 .