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Urban Explorers Discovered NATO Military Bases Built During the Cold War, Completely Abandoned in Italy
In 1956, NATO began developing an early warning system against potential attacks from the USSR and its satellite countries. This system was named Allied Command Europe Highband, or simply ACE High.
At that time, communication satellites as we know them today did not exist, and the network used a UHF tropospheric scatter system. This technology allowed signals to travel beyond the horizon, creating an advanced infrastructure for the standards of the era.
One of the centers of this network, located on the island of Cephalonia in Greece, was deactivated in 1996 when the system became obsolete.
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However, the traces of ACE High remain as vestiges of a technological past that supported security during the Cold War.
Explorers Publish Video
Today, the YouTube channel Okos, known for exploring abandoned places, published an impressive video. In it, a group of Spanish explorers enters two old NATO bases, whose location remains secret.
One of them, as shown in the video, was a communication center of the ACE High network. Despite the state of abandonment, the facilities reveal fascinating details of the operation of this communication system.
The abandoned bases, however, are not only intriguing. They also pose a significant health risk to the explorers.
In one of the locations, the presence of asbestos and fungi reached alarming levels. Therefore, the explorers used personal protective equipment to minimize the dangers.
The captured images impress with the grandeur of the facilities. Extensive underground tunnels, old corridors, and rooms filled with deteriorating equipment are visible amidst the abandonment. The size of the site is a reminder of the magnitude of the efforts to maintain an active communication network during times of geopolitical tension.
Two of the parabolic antennas, located at an Italian base, also appear in the video. They were crucial in connecting ACE High stations, creating a communication network that linked northern Norway to Cyprus and southern Turkey.
These antennas, despite the wear of time, continue to impress with their structure and the role they played in one of the most critical periods of the 20th century.
The video, filmed in high quality, also highlights the more delicate details of the facilities. Each image reinforces the importance of ACE High in NATO’s military and technological history while also showing the impact of abandonment and the danger of neglecting such places.
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