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MOD Hebrides is a Ministry of Defence site in the Outer Hebrides operated by QinetiQ. It consists of a deep sea range for complex weapons trials and an inner range for ground-based air defence test and evaluation. It has also been known as the Hebrides Guided Weapon Range and the South Uist Missile Range.
| MOD Hebrides | |
|---|---|
South Uist Missile Range, Hebrides Range | |
| Scotland | |
 | |
  MOD Hebrides Location of MOD Hebrides within Outer Hebrides  MOD Hebrides MOD Hebrides (the United Kingdom) | |
| Coordinates | 57°28′15.77″N 7°22′36.89″W |
| Type | Missile Range |
| Site information | |
| Owner | QinetiQ |
| Operator | Qinetiq |
| Controlled by |  Royal Air Force |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1957 |
| Built by | RAF 5004 Airfield Construction Squadron |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison | Congreve House |
| Airfield information | |
| Elevation | 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) AMSL |
The range was operated by the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA), for evaluating new missiles. St Kilda became Scotland's first World Heritage Site in 1987 and is one of the few in the world to hold joint status for both its ecological and cultural significance.[1]
The site was built in 1957 by the Ministry of Defence to test nuclear missiles.[2] Opposition to the construction of the range resulted in the novel Rockets Galore!, by Sir Compton Mackenzie, which was made into a film, filmed on the island of Barra. Resistance to the building of the range also led to the construction of the religious monument Our Lady of the Isles.
In 2016, it was announced that £180 million was to be invested in the modernisation of the facilities across MoD Hebrides, plus a site in Wales and another in England.[3]
In 2023, Exercise Formidable Shield, designed to test the ballistic missile defence capabilities of NATO and its partner nations, took place at MOD Hebrides Range. A total of more than 4,000 personnel from 13 nations, 20 ships, 35 aircraft, including the Eurofighter Typhoon and F-35 Lightning II, and eight ground units, including radar platforms and the US M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), took part in the biennial exercise.[4][5] In 2024, the DragonFire laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) was fired during trials at the MOD Hebrides range.[6]
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It is situated in the Outer Hebrides on South Uist and Hirta in the St Kilda Archipelago.[3] The range occupies 115,000 km2 of sanitised airspace with unlimited altitude. The missiles are tracked from St Kilda, Scotland, a now uninhabited island, which is now leased by the Ministry of Defence. The site is run by QinetiQ, a privatised former division of the MoD.[7]
The facilities include:[8]
- Tracking Radar Facility: Real-time data for trials control and safety purposes, as well as providing recordings of time, space and position information for post-trial trajectory analysis, using G Band Radar and Nike Digital Instrumentation Radar (NiDIR).
- Telemetry: Receive, record and monitor video and other data streams.
- Support Services: Mechanical and engineering services, accommodation, recreation and medical facilities.
- Surface Target Facility
- Aerial Target Facility.
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- List of rocket launch sites
- 1957 in Scotland
- BUTEC (British Underwater Test and Evaluation Centre) at Raasay
- Luce Bay in Dumfries and Galloway
- RAF Tain on the Moray Firth
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