The lost Radarstation
The base, built in 1965, consisted of the radar station (designated as «486L MEDCOM») and the nearby fully equipped military camp, and was used for communication between the various NATO bases in the Mediterranean. It is located on the plateau of Agios Donatos, in Ammokambos, at the foot of the church of "Profiti Ilias". The area was chosen because of the strong winds blowing from all directions and the round about view of all the seas.
Many inhabitants of Englouvi and the surrounding villages had participated in the construction of the base. They can still remember the military helicopters that transported the material to the base. The base consisted of two parts: the station where the troposcatter antennas were located and the camp where the soldiers lived. Both parts were built according to American standards, which resulted in a high quality of construction. At the time, about 30 Americans and 15 local Greeks worked on the site. The Greek personnel employed on the base consisted of 10 to 15 people. They worked as cooks, kitchen staff, drivers, car mechanics and as security guards. Most of them were from Karya and Pigadisani. The radar station itself was the workplace of the American soldiers.
The 4 huge transmitting antennas are made entirely of steel and have not rusted in the slightest to this day. It also had the most modern equipment of the time, including its own power station with 4 huge generators and the «ACE HIGH» communication system, which was very high-tech for the time.
Both the base buildings and the camp buildings were impressive inside. Besides the dormitories, the complex had a fully equipped kitchen, restaurant and entertainment rooms, as well as a gym and an outdoor basketball court. The helipad with its own refuelling station was also located here. The radar station was crammed with hundreds of electrical outlets. In the rooms and on the work tables were an endless number of telephones and other high-end communications, electrical and air-conditioning equipment.
The base was closed only a few years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and all communist regimes. It was technically obsolete and no longer had a raison d'être. Until recently, no one thought of war any more either. So the base was handed over first to the Greek Air Force and then to the municipality of Karya.
According to local media, the end of the NATO base resulted in the entire camp facilities being looted in a very short time, along with all electrical and electronic equipment. Those who thought they would find what they were looking for at the base took what they could use. Nowadays, the NATO base has become uninteresting for lost place spotters. What you find are only the building shells and the 4 antennas. All electrical and mechanical parts that were not riveted, nailed or inaccessible, even partitions were stolen. They took everything except the antennas and the buildings themselves. Even the petrol pump consists only of its framework.