Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul, who writes:
I was a morse intercept operator in the USAF in the late 1960s. I have a nice picture of a FLR-9 at Misawa Japan (now gone I think):
I was at Misawa from 68-70 in the USAF Security Service. I copied high speed code, mostly cut numbers. Got my ham license after discharge. I had 3 R390 receivers at my “position” and numerous different “antennas” on the FLR-9 to listen in different directions. While there I received a commendation for: “Providing information that otherwise would not have been known” I’m not sure I can say any more details.
To me [this photo] shows the immensity of the antenna.
Thanks.
Paul
Yes–this antenna is enormous! It must be a site to see up close. I’ve only seen Wullenweber Antennas from satellite imagery. Thank you so much for sharing your photo!
I remember being told that the Misawa “elephant cage” was the listening device that recorded the audio when the Russian shot down KAL 007 killing all passengers aboard.
You are right. I was on rack that night. I was given an medal for my work that night as well. At first, we thought it was Russian Morse practice because it was high speed and they usually conducted their practice tracking using high speed Morse. Voice confirmed it was legitimate tracking and Russian fighter comms. I remember, most of all, the silence that occurred in the Voice block and the Morse block once the Russian pilot said, “Target destroyed.” The KAL was acting very odd. Gross altitude changes etc. Can’t go into detail, but the Russian jets did everything to warn that KAL pilot. They fired tracers across its nose, maneuvered in front of it and waved their wings etc. Our Voice block was monitoring all comms and heard the Russian jet pilot report this over air to ground. They REALLY tried to let that KAL pilot know he was infringing in Soviet airspace. The rule we were taught was that once an aircraft enters Soviet airspace it is either forced to land or destroyed. This was Soviet military air policy. I miss all the people who worked on The Hill in the 80’s. It was before Fox News had radicalized people and made them angry about the wrong things. We were all nice people. I felt sorry for the Soviet people. Most of the Soviet citizens and the Soviet military had never had running water or modern housing. Most were oblivious to the modern world — and most were drunk off vodka most of the time. You could here it in their voices and in their Morse transmissions.
I grew up in Misawa. Dad was stationed there twice and worked at this location on Security Hill. The last time we were there was 77-82
Jim Carroll was my dad.
I was at Misawa from 64-70. My dad worked on “the Hill” and was a civilian contractor for Univac computers. I remember the “elephant cage” and am sa it’s gone. I plan to o visit Misawa in Oct 2025 and I wonder if I will recognize anything. My parents belonged to the AeroClub there and we’re always flying on the weekends. I have wonderful memories of Misawa. My parents were Barbara and Gerald Vasilatos.
I served as a Navy linguist there from 88-90, then on to FSK.
Misawa was some of the best times of my life.
CTI2 T. Ewing
I also served with USAFSS at three different AN/FLR-9 locations between 1965 thru 1974.
My AFSC was 304X4, a fixed ground communications technician.
At all that locations I worked in the main communications building as well the central building (located in the center of the antenna array.
I also served at Misawa with the USMC. All four services served there at the time. I loved my job there as an analyst not much else to say .
Ray Gallegos
Sgt USMC
I used to go to Chicksands AFB in U.K. In the 80’s. It’s gone now. There is a lot of info with pictures on the web of these antennas.
These huge antennas are for receiving and direction finding only. We still have one operating here in Germany near the city of Augsburg.
And 2 still in Canada. Gander, Newfoundland and Masset, BC.
It is a receiving antenna how good will it do at transmitting?