(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
By Erling Borgen
The base is funded by the US Navy, and is part of the so-called Omega system – a worldwide navigation system – which, among other things, the US nuclear fleet of Polaris and Poseidon submarines and the US bombers used in Vietnam benefit greatly from.
In reality, it serves as a base for nuclear weapons.
This is yet another proof that our country in reality acts as a base for the needs and interests of foreign powers and foreign armies.
As early as 1964, the United States Navy received permission from the Department of Defense to establish a test station at Bratland for the Omega navigation system. This system is according to St. prp. Nr. 13 (1971–72) a system which, on a worldwide basis, is to «improve navigation possibilities under all weather conditions for civilian and military ships and aircraft».
Storting decision without debate
The final agreement between the USA and Norway was adopted by a unanimous Storting – without debate – on 2 November 1971: "The Storting agrees that Norway enters into an agreement with the United States of America on the establishment of a permanent 'Omega' navigation station in Norway in accordance with the ministry's recommendation of 24 September 1971."
The entire Omega chain comprises eight stations. Besides Norway, stations are being built in Trinidad, Hawaii, North Dakota, Japan, Australia, on the island of Reunion off Madagascar and in Argentina. The electronic equipment is supplied and paid for by the United States.
The antenna span at the Norwegian station is over three kilometers long – and is stretched between two high mountains. The Omega system has an accuracy of approx. one nautical mile, and vessels calculate their position by cross-bearing between three stations. The system goes into full effect this month, after a trial run over several years at the stations in Norway, Trinidad, Hawaii and North Dakota.
For the nuclear submarines
The Omega stations transmit on very low frequencies – VLF – with a wavelength of around 20 km. Such waves are very stable in their propagation, have a long range – and have the advantage that they penetrate through salt water. Thus, it will not be required for submarines to go up to the surface in order to receive radio messages.
Perfect for the US nuclear fleet of Polaris and Poseidon submarines.
So this system is perfect for the US nuclear fleet of Polaris and Poseidon submarines. As the American magazine Electronics (authoritative body for the electronic industry in the USA) wrote in 1965: "Loran (the existing navigation system) has serious limitations [...] the signals cannot be used by submerged submarines".
Therefore, the Ministry of Defense replaced this system with Omega. On July 11, 1966, Electronics reports that the Navy spent $65 million to install Omega in "ships, most aircraft and all submarines."
"All submarines" means that the Polaris and Poseidon submarines also use the Omega system, and that the Norwegian Omega transmitter at Bratland in this way functions as a base for nuclear weapons.
It was at NATO's council meeting in Athens in the spring of 1962 that the decisions were taken which have led to Northern Norway being developed to become a communication center in NATO's advanced nuclear strategy in Europe.
The meeting communique states, among other things: "The ministers noted with satisfaction that the USA has made Polaris submarines available to NATO". The goal was to have 41 nuclear-powered submarines ready by 1965 – each boat equipped with 16 Polaris missiles. All the missiles can be fired within fifteen minutes, each with a range of 4000 km.
Each boat carries so much explosive power that it is equivalent to three times all the explosives used during the last world war. The Polaris project can reach 90 percent of the Earth's surface.
But the Polaris rockets were soon to be "obsolete", and the Pentagon has long since received grants to replace Polaris with the Poseidon rocket, which has twice the explosive power of Polaris.
United States in Vietnam
The USA has also benefited greatly from the Omega system in connection with the Vietnam War. In an article on 11.7.1969 July 135, Aftenposten stated, among other things: "An American Boeing C-135 transport aircraft belonging to the Strategic Air Command is being equipped with the Omega navigation system, reports Aviation Week & Space Technology. The C-XNUMX aircraft are used, among other things, as "flying gas stations" for the US's strategic bombers. The Omega system has previously been tested in a Super Constellation aircraft, with good results."
These "flying petrol stations" are of the greatest importance for the US's strategic bombers, which for a number of years have, among other things, had the task of bombing the countries of Indochina "back to the Stone Age".
Through the Omega transmitter installed on Bratland, Norway becomes complicit.
We do not rely on any denials
We can count on a joint denial from the Norwegian and American governments in connection with this case: "This has nothing to do with the Polaris and Poseidon system, one would argue. The Norwegian "base policy stands firm".
When the American U2 plane was shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960, we heard the same assurances, the same innocent explanations. Just as little as we believed in the official "statements" at the time, one should put faith in a possible denial in this matter.
