One of the great things about Google earth is that it places pretty reasonable satelite images in the hands of everybody with a PC and a net connection. From countries where the idea of public access to such information, or even just topographic maps, were considered 'top secret', Google received a howl of protests originally. But, freedom of speech prevailed.
As a result, its fun to zoom around Oman and see what you can see (see previous post on the Heart Palace).
Here's a sequence of images zooming in one of the highest peaks in Musandam. You can clearly see the monitoring station's big enclosed radar dome and antenna, positioned for looking right across the straights of Hormuz. Nice.
To play at home. Load Google Earth, Type in "Thumrait" and see what you fly too.
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Cool huh? Try figuring out that that was there before Google.
OH, BTW, its officially used for monitoring of commercial aircraft, as Muscat Air traffic control is in charge of all the gazzillions of planes that cross Omani airspace on their way between Asia and ME or Europe.
ReplyDeleteIts Omani not Irania.
ReplyDeletecoloman,
ReplyDeleteI know its in Oman, and run by Oman (well, perhaps with a little help from The American's). But its used for watching and listening to the Iranians.
Sorry for the confusion!
Take a look at Al Udied Airbase Qatar... Now that is an Airbase! See if you can count how may aircraft there are.
ReplyDeleteWillie Dryer
Dragon,
ReplyDeleteYou must work for some kind of Ameriacan company, something with the military.
That looks to me like the same over-the-horizon listening post that John Beasant mentions in his banned "Oman" book [Which of course nobody in Oman has ever read...]. As he mentions there...
ReplyDelete"During the Cold War it played a significant role in monitoring Soviet naval activity in the Indian Ocean and indeed beyond."
Presumably it is now monitoring events somewhat closer to home?
Wliie.
ReplyDeleteWill do. But I do think Thumrait is cute. And really in the middle of nowhere's ville.
Coloman
Heh heh.
Anon
Indeed. Its not small, and its in the best position anywhere for reaching as far into Iran as possible.
I'm sort of surprised there's still a road. I wonder what sort of response a tourist visit would bring?