RAF Comms Site, Malaysia
This is one of several images a relative took of what appears to be a tropospheric scatter communications facility.
It was taken during a visit "up a mountain" near Penang in Malaysia in mid-late summer, 1971. As can be seen from the first comment below by WeeKit, this is Tiger Hill/Western Hill, a part of Penang Hill/Bukit Bendera.
Three of the images were taken on the base, which had an RAF ensign flying and was manned by RAF personnel. (The relative was in the RAF at the time, but visiting Malaysia).
I can find no reference to this site on a search of the interweb but I assume it is associated with the nearby RAF Butterworth and presumably formed part of the station's long-haul communications capability?
I have found various US sites that suggest this might be a 486L tropospheric scatter communications system, which the US military used extensively in Europe in the 1960s-1980s. The US also used something similar in Vietnam in the late 1960s, so it is possible this was part of a SEATO communications network, or perhaps a UK stand-alone system?
Of note, the American sites (European and Asian) all appear on mountain/hill tops, most of which have been bulldozed flat to accomodate the facility. Was the construction above a cheaper option for the RAF or more caring for the environment?
Anyone able to shed any more light on this?
RAF Comms Site, Malaysia
This is one of several images a relative took of what appears to be a tropospheric scatter communications facility.
It was taken during a visit "up a mountain" near Penang in Malaysia in mid-late summer, 1971. As can be seen from the first comment below by WeeKit, this is Tiger Hill/Western Hill, a part of Penang Hill/Bukit Bendera.
Three of the images were taken on the base, which had an RAF ensign flying and was manned by RAF personnel. (The relative was in the RAF at the time, but visiting Malaysia).
I can find no reference to this site on a search of the interweb but I assume it is associated with the nearby RAF Butterworth and presumably formed part of the station's long-haul communications capability?
I have found various US sites that suggest this might be a 486L tropospheric scatter communications system, which the US military used extensively in Europe in the 1960s-1980s. The US also used something similar in Vietnam in the late 1960s, so it is possible this was part of a SEATO communications network, or perhaps a UK stand-alone system?
Of note, the American sites (European and Asian) all appear on mountain/hill tops, most of which have been bulldozed flat to accomodate the facility. Was the construction above a cheaper option for the RAF or more caring for the environment?
Anyone able to shed any more light on this?