Diefenbunker / CEGHQ & REGHQ, Transmitter, and Receiver, Sites

2015.08.20 Update:
After an excellent presentation by Ralph Cameron (VE3BBM) tonight at the former site of CFS Carp, now The Diefenbunker Museum, in the cafeteria, about Cold War communications infrastructure, I figured I should dust off this blog post and move it to the front of the line again.

It's not a revelation to anyone that CFS Carp (Now known as The Diefenbunker Museum) was not the only continuity of government facility in Canada; they were built across Canada for the local politicians and their civil servants to hide in, in case of nuclear annihilation.  Each of the Regional Headquarters sites also had a separate communication bunker, usually a couple of stories down, like a "Diefenbunker", but a lot smaller.  These TX and RX sites would have been built and maintained by the military to ensure communications were kept going after the world had gone to hell in a hand-basket. Antenna farms were on site with the mini-bunker, and there was a separate unmanned receiver site with another antenna farm.

This is where my research gets fuzzy.

If each Diefenbunker had a TX and and RX site, where exactly were they?  I can find some information, but not every site has coordinates associated with it, or is it easy to find.  Many of these facilities have been decommissioned and bulldozed.

Here is the map, to the best that I know, of where these sites would be.  I'd really like to get better pictures of the sites and what condition they are in now.  Are there still fences?  Any sign of the bunker or antenna farm? Is there nothing buy cows?  Inquiring minds would like to know...

So what else was going on at CFS Carp anyway?

I received a comment regarding CFS Carp on a previous post which got me thinking...

CFS Carp, now the Diefenbunker Museum, is known to have been a nuclear shelter for the government in case of nuclear war.  However, I'm sure it had more than one hat over it's career, and there were multiple facilities that shared its name and were in close proximity to it.  Back in the day, messages by would be sent to CFS Carp using the following routing identifiers, and then those messages would be delivered to the appropriate parties at the designated locations.  But what were these locations?  Here are he routing identifiers and corresponding locations; I've made a stab at several acronyms with some help from people in the industry :)

RCCRCMA    CFS CARP    CAN
RCCRCMA    LCO CANADA CARP    CAN
RCCRCMA    MIC CARP    CAN
RCCRCMA    NICS TCF CARP    CAN
RCCRCMA    NICSCC CARP    CAN
RCCRCMA    SGT F8 CARP CA    CAN

LCO Canada - Launch Control Officer for Canada?
MIC - Multinational Interoperability Council ? (The Multinational Interoperability Council was founded in '96, after CFS Carp closed)
NICS TCF - NATO Integrated Communications System Technical Control Facility
NICS CC - NATO Integrated Communications System Communication Centre? Command Centre?
SGT F8 - Satellite Ground Terminal F8

NATO Satellite Ground Terminal Carp (F8)

The dome SW of CFS Carp was not really part of CFS Carp, it was a Satellite Ground Terminal (SGT) for NATO SATCOM (NATO IV constellation, I think), but the facility was shut down in the 1990s.  Was this directly related to the CFS Carp shutdown and the CFS Carp detachment shutdown?  I have not found a "proper" name for the facility other than a designator of "F8", in one document it is referenced as "SGT F8 CARP".  Another document references that "we have recently closed F8 at CARP in Canada, We now intend to have only 4 fixed ground terminals for UHF instead of 11 but as I have already mentioned we have now over 200 UHF mobile terminals in use which were not foreseen."
So, does this mean the SGT Carp (F8) was a SATCOM UHF repeater of some sort?

NATO SGT F18 at Folly Lake stayed open while NATO SGT F8 Carp closed; I'm not sure about Folly Lake's purpose either.

2013.10.14 - Former NATO SGT F8 Carp

NATO SGT F8 Carp

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NATO SGT F18 Folly Lake

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NTP 2 SECTION 1 (D)
ORIGINAL 2-14
The communications subsystem may simultaneously employ full Earth coverage, area coverage, and narrow coverage modes for transmission and reception. Using the MBAs, the capability exists to provide narrow coverage, area coverage, or selectively shaped area coverage by combining multiple, simultaneous narrow coverage patterns. A high gain, narrow transmit coverage capability is provided by the GDA.
The receive MBA capability includes the ability to eliminate or reduce the effect of jammers by putting them in a null between sidelobes of an NC beam or by forming nulls in a broad area (up to full Earth coverage) antenna pattern. The receive and transmit MBAs have the ability to simultaneously cover multiple areas, thereby maximizing link gain between terminals in the illuminated areas and reducing the effect of off beam jamming signals. This capability is not normally used during naval operations, but may be employed as directed for contingencies.
Each transponder channel is capable of relaying, with minimal performance degradation, time-division multiplexer (TDM)/ FDMA, CDMA, and time-division multiple access (TDMA) signals. When relaying FDMA signals, the transponder HPA must operate in an essentially linear mode. CDMA and TDMA signals permit operation in a near-saturated mode. The gain of the transponder is controlled prior to the TWTA/ HESSA to ensure the desired degree of TWT saturation for varying input levels. Input variations depend on the number of uplink signals and the EIRP of the Earth terminals.
204. NATO/ ALLIED SATELLITE SYSTEMS A. NATO Satellite System. The NATO Satellite System consists of an active communications satellite, 27 satellite ground terminals (SGT), 2 control centers, and the NATO school segment at Latina, Italy (see table 2-9). To communicate with NATO SGTs, Navy ships serving NATO support roles must shift to the NATO satellite and join the NATO spread spectrum network. NATO SGTs may provide naval support upon request. However, Navy circuits must be extended to NCTAMS Europe/ Central (EURCENT) or Atlantic (LANT), or NCTAMS EURCENT Detachment London for baseband support.
B. NATO IV-A Satellite Description. The NATO IV-A satellite became operational in 1991. It is a three-axis stabilized vehicle with a total weight (at lift off) of 1,452 pounds (660 kilograms). Two solar array panels generating 1200 watts of electricity provide power for the spacecraft and its payload. NiCd batteries provide power during solar eclipse. The TT& C subsystem operates in the 8-GHz band and employs spread spectrum protection with encryption. The altitude and orbit control subsystem uses infrared Earth sensors to maintain position. The design life of the satellite is 7 years.
The NATO IV-A satellite provides communications in the SHF and UHF bands. The SHF transponder provides four channels. The UHF transponder provides two channels. The frequencies, antennas, EIRP, and channel bandwidths are reflected in table 2-10. Spacecraft control is maintained by the Royal Air Force (RAF) with assets at Oakhanger, UK. Operation control is maintained by the 32
http://www.fas.org/spp/military/docops/navy/ntp2/ch2.htm

As part of the ongoing operational initiatives we have reviewed our requirements for the static ground terminals as a result of which we have recently closed F8 at CARP in Canada, We now intend to have only 4 fixed ground terminals for UHF instead of 11 but as I have already mentioned we have now over 200 UHF mobile terminals in use which were not foreseen.
http://ftp.rta.nato.int/public//PubFullText/AGARD/CP/AGARD-CP-580///AGARDCP580.pdf

Fantastic German web site about Military SATCOM
http://www.satellitenwelt.de/uhfmilsat.htm

NATO Integrated Communications System Technical Control Facility

If TCF refers to a Technical Control Facility, I don’t know if it was co-located at the CFS Carp facility or at the Richardson Detachment, but from the definition I found on an unrelated web site it seems to fit and make sense.

Each NCTAMS and NTCS operates a Technical Control Facility (TCF) which contains the equipment necessary for ensuring fast, reliable, and secure exchange of information and typically includes distribution frames and associated panels, jacks, and switches and monitoring, test, conditioning, and order wire equipment. The TCF allows telecommunications systems control personnel to exercise operational control of communications paths and facilities, make quality analyses of communications and communications channels, monitor operations and maintenance functions, recognize and correct deteriorating conditions, restore disrupted communications, provide requested on-call circuits, and take or direct such actions as may be required and practical to provide effective telecommunications services.
Tech Control also performs basic functions for receiver and transmitter sites remotely. These include tuning, equipment patching, quality monitoring of received or radiated signals, switching or directional control of antennas, primary ship shore circuit operations, and the submission of required reports.
http://navybmr.com/study%20material/NTP%204%20%28E%29.pdf

If the CFS Carp facility, and associated facilities, was a communications hub integrating Canadian Forces and NATO HF, VHF, UHF and SATCOM, it makes sense why I cant find very much open source information on it.
However, I'm totally spit-balling.

CFS Carp, Richardson, Almonte, and Dunrobin

Researching the sites in my own back yard, I discovered a few things about where I live that I didn't know, as always.

I thought CFS Carp was previously RCAF Station Carp - not true. 

Previous to being called CFS Carp, it was the "Experimental Army Signal Establishment" - Oh, an "establishment", I'm familiar with other establishments, and they usually do some pretty cool science!

I then found out that CFS Carp had 3 associated locations, detachments (I didn't know what a detachment was in context)

- CFS Carp Detachment Richardson
- CFS Carp Detachment Almonte
- CFS Carp Detachment Dunrobin

Well, that answers my questions regarding what those antenna farms were in Dunrobin and Almonte, but it also makes me sad to think they sealed up Richardson's little bunker.

The antenna arrays at all the sites are long gone, but I would like to understand better what these facilities were being used for.  Radio?  SIGINT?  Experimental field radio testing?  I have more questions than I have answers.


Canadian Forces Station Carp Richardson Detachment

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CFS Carp Richardson Detachment
Courtesy The Atlas of Canada Toporama

Canadian Forces Station Carp Dunrobin Detachment

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CFS Carp Dunrobin Detachment
Courtesy The Atlas of Canada Toporama

Canadian Forces Station Carp Almonte Detachment

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CFS Carp Almonte Detachment
Courtesy The Atlas of Canada Toporama

Canadian Forces Station Carp:

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CFS Carp

Full Name:    Canadian Forces Station Carp
Preceeding Unit(s):
    701 Comm Sqn
    Experimental Army Signal Establishment
Information:
In its first Canadian Forces Organization Order 1.16, dated 27 May 1968, the Experimental Army Signal Establishment was redesignated as Canadian Forces Station Carp. On 14 September 1970 the stations consisted of a receiver site at Carp and a transmitter site at Richardson, Ontario, reporting to Canadian Forces Communication Command. CFS Carp was to provide the administration, security and housekeeping services needed to maintain a constant state of operational readiness for all sites under its command; most importantly, the communication facilities at Carp, Richardson, Almonte and Dunrobin. It also administered support services to terminal stations at Renfrew, Arnprior, Carleton Place, Smith Falls and Kemptville. The NATO Satellite Ground Terminal and some elements of the Canadian Emergency Measures Organization at Carp also fell under its operational command. On 1 July 1971 CFS Carp was disbanded and reformed by amalgamating 701 Communication Squadron (formed on 1 April 1965) whereby it was given an increased operational emphasis on providing strategic communications for the Canadian Forces. CFS Carp was closed in 1994.
- http://www.rcsigs.ca/ViewUnit/59/

A two-story communications bunker was also constructed near Perth (Richardson Detachment), which was staffed exclusively by members of the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals (RCCS), later 701 Communications Squadron post-Unification. 
Although the bunker was never used for its intended purpose, it did serve a valuable function as a government communications station staffed by RCCS personnelNo. 1 Army Signals Troop.
Following the end of the Cold War, most of the Diefenbunkers were decommissioned, including CFS Carp and the Richardson Detachment in 1994.  Communicaitons functions were taken over by CFS Leitrim outside of Ottawa. 
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 Source Material: Cobourg: "Abandoned Military Installations of Canada Volume I: Ontairo" by Paul Ozorak, information supplied by the Diefenbunker Museum (2004) & information supplied by the Carp branch of the Ottawa Public Library (2011).  
- http://www.militarybruce.com/history/base-history_13.html