US Navy Communication Stations

Skip Down to List of COMMSTA locations

    

        

  • NAVCOMSTA or NAVCOMMSTA or NAVCOMFAC  or NAVCOMMU
    Naval Communication Station or Naval Communication Facility or Naval Communications Unit - main control site and message handling centers
  • NAVRADSTA or NAVRADFAC  
    Naval Radio Station or Naval Radio Facility - transmitter (T) or receiver (R) remote sites
  • NRTF or NRRF 
    Naval Radio Transmitter Facility - transmitter site
    Naval Radio Receiver Facility - receiver site  
  • NAVSECGRU - Not covered on this web site - (DF & Interception sites) 


US Navy Communication Station FacilitiesRadioBarrigada02-vi.jpg (43615 bytes)

Air Transportable Communication Units - ATCU-100 & ATCU-100A

1954 "Shore-Based Communications" manual - NAVPERS 10891

COMMSTA Functional Organization Chart

COMMSTA Physical Organization Chart

COMMSTA Design and Construction - NAVELEX 0101,102 

COMMSTA Building Plans and Equipment Layout 
     - from 1956-60 NAVSHIPS 92675 "Handbook of Naval Shore Station Electronics Criteria"


US Navy Communication Stations - with links when known

  •  
  • AK - Kodiak (NOJ/NHB) - photos & info
    • AK - Buskin Lake transmitter site - Info and Photo Page
    • AK - Buskin Beach (Holiday Beach)  receiver site
    • AK - Kodiak VLF transmitter site
    • See also Naval Radio History of 13th Naval District - 36 MB pdf
  • AK - Adak (NUD) - Info and Photo Page
    • AK - Rocky Point transmitter site (1943-1952)
    • AK - Mount Moffett transmitter site (NHC & NUD)
    • AK - Heart Lake receiver site (1943-1952)
    • AK - Clam Lagoon receiver site
    • See also Naval Radio History of 13th Naval District - 36 MB pdf
  • CA - San Francisco (NPG)  - Photo and Info Page
               - moved to Stockton (Rough & Ready Island) 1962
  • CA - San Diego (NPL) Photo and Info Page
  • CT - New London Submarine Base (NBL) 
  • DC - Washington (NSS) patch, early photos, 1945 photos
  • FL - Key West (NAR) - Info and Photo Page
    • FL - Boca Chica transmitter site changed to receiver site in 1969
    • FL - Saddlebunch Key transmitter site est. 1969
  • FL - Jacksonville - Info Page
  • HI - Pearl Harbor (NPM) - Info Page
  • IL - Great Lakes (NAJ) -closed 1958- early photo of towers
  • LA - New Orleans (NAT) -closed 1959
    • Belle Chase receiver site
  • MA - Boston Navy Yard (NAD) - closed 1958
    • MA - Squantum transmitter & receiver site
    • ME - Otter Cliffs & Winter Harbor (NBD) receiver site
    • ME -Bass Harbor transmitter site
  • ME - Winter Harbor & Corea NSGA (NQC) - video
  • ME - Cutler VLF transmitter site (NAA) - Info and Photo Page
  • MI - Republic ELF transmitter site - photos, photo - ELF Communications System Page
  • ND - LaMoure VLF transmitter site (NML4) - info, photos
    • The VLF transmitter is a prototype solid state amplifier developed under the Solid State Power Amplifier Replacement (SSPAR) program
  • NJ - NAVCOMMUNIT Trenton -82B1 teletype automatic switching system - 1958-1972  - info and photos
  • NJ - Cape May (NSD)
  • NY - Brooklyn Navy Yard (NAH) - closed 1958 - info here
    • NY - Bellmore, Long Island receiver site
  • OK - Naval Computer and Telecommunications Strategic Communications Unit - web site
    • Our mission is to "Alert Take Charge and Move Out" (TACAMO) aircraft located at continental U.S. facilities and the relay of emergency action messages from national command authority to airborne TACAMO aircraft and command centers, to provide worldwide air-to-ground and ground-to air voice/data link in support of deployed TACAMO forces. This task is accomplished within a communications infrastructure that spans a technical network of circuits which include medium speed computer data lines to radio signals in the very low frequency (VLF) to extremely high frequency (EHF) spectrum.
       Communications support is extended beyond the continental U.S. to both Atlantic and Pacific oceanographic regions by two strategic communications detachments located at Travis Air Force Base, Fairfield, California, and Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Maryland.
  • PA - Philadelphia (NAI) - closed 1958
  • RI - Newport (NAF) -  info
    • RI - Sachuest Point (Middletown) receiver site - Info and Photo Page
    • RI - Beavertail Point (Jamestown) transmitter site - Info and Photo Page
    • MA - NAVRADSTA Cape Cod (Otis AFB) - tropo link for CC ships - est 1968
  • SC - Charleston (NAO) - closed 1959
  • TX - Houston Naval Reserve Training - 1964 photo
  • VA - Norfolk (NAM) - Info and Photo Page
  • WA - Naval Radio History of 13th Naval District (Seattle) - pdf
    • WA - Puget Sound (NHB) patch
    • WA - Bremerton / Oak Harbor (NPC) - patch
    • WA - Battle Point transmitter site, Bainbridge Island (NPC) - closed 1959 - Info and Photo Page
    • WA - Jim Creek (Arlington) VLF transmitter site (NLK) - Info and Photo Page  
    • WA - Marietta receiver site (NAVSECGRU only?)
  • WI - Clam Lake ELF transmitter site - info - ELF Communications System Page
  • Puerto Rico - (NAU)  Info and Photo Page
    • San Juan comm station
    • Fort Allen comm station
    • Roosevelt Roads comm station
    • Martin Pena transmitter site - 1950's photos
    • Isabela transmitter site
    • Carolina receiver site
    • Salinas receiver site
    • Aguada VLF transmitter site (NAU)
    • Sabana Seca receiver site (NAVSECGRU only?)
  • Cuba - Guantanamo Bay (NAW)
  • Panama - Ft. Amador, Balboa (NBA) - Info and Photo Page
    • NBA'ers web site
    • Summit transmitter site 
    • Gatun VLF transmitter site
    • Farfan receiver site
    • Inter-American Naval Telecommunications Network - web site
  • Bermuda
  • British West Indies - Trinidad
  • Canada - Argentia, Newfoundland - estab. 1963
  • Mariana Islands - Guam (NPN)
  • Midway Island - (NQM) - estab. 1963 - Info and Photo Page
  • Marshall Islands - Kwajalein
  • Japan - 
    • Yokosuka (NDT) - NAVCOMTELSTA Far East was originally designated as Naval Communications Facility, Yokosuka Japan and was commissioned on 8 January 1951 after the outbreak of the Korean Conflict. In December 1952, U.S. Naval Radio Receiving Facility, Kami Seya, Japan was completed and the Security Group Department and general service receivers were moved to Kami Seya. During the Korean Conflict, the rest of NAVCOMMFAC Yokosuka moved to Kami Seya. In 1960, the command was redesignated U.S. Naval Communications Facility Japan and relocated to Yokosuka Japan. The following year, the command was again redesignated as U.S. Naval Communications Station, Japan. This name stood for 30 years until 1991, when it was changed to U.S. Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station, Japan to acknowledge the increasing reliance on computers and telephones in telecommunications. Also in 1991, NTCCs Atsugi and Sasebo and NAVCOMM Dets Okinawa and Misawa were functionally transferred to NAVCOMTELSTA Japan. 1993 saw the transfer of Base Communications Offices (BCOs) at Atsugi, Sasebo and Yokosuka to NAVCOMTELSTA Japan. Then in 1995, another name change to U.S. Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station, Far East occurred with the functional transfer of the Communications Department from Commander Fleet Activities Chinhae, Korea to this command and the establishment of NAVCOMM Det Chinhae
    • Japan - Totsuka (Totuka) VLF transmitter site - info, patch
    • Japan -Yosami (Yosomai) VLF transmitter site - 
    • Japan - Kamiseya (Kami Seya) receiver site
  • Japan - Okinawa - 
    • NAVCOMM Det OKINAWA - Originally, naval communications on Okinawa was provided by a Naval Communication Station located on Futenma Marine Base. The NAVCOMMSTA relocated to the Navy Air Base, Naha City and became a department of the Naval Air Facility, Naha. In May 1972, NAF Naha was combined with Fleet Activities Okinawa. In 1975, the Naha base was disestablished and all naval facilities were relocated to Kadena Air Base becoming Commander, Fleet Activities Okinawa. During the same period, the Anti-Submarine Warfare Communications Center (ASCOMM) Department, an integral part of the Anti-Submarine Warfare Operations Center (ASWOC) of FAIRWING ONE DET NAHA, also relocated from Naha to Kadena. Naval Radio Transmitting Facility Awase, originally an Army/Air Force communications site, was transferred to the Navy in 1966 and eventually became part of Commander Fleet Activities Okinawa Communications Department. NAVCOMM Det Okinawa was established and joined the NAVCOMTELSTA Yokosuka team in February 1991. NAVCOMM Det Okinawa consists of Tactical Support Center Communications (TSCCOMM) Division, COMSEC Material System (CMS) Division, Naval Radio Transmitter Facility (NRTF) Awase, and Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System (SURTASS) Division.
    • Japan - Okinawa - Awase transmitter site (transferred from Army/Air Force in 1966) - info, photos
    • Japan - Okinawa - NSGA Hanza receiver site
  • Korea - Chinhae - patch -
    •  NAVCOMM DET Chinhae was officially established in October 1995 after the Detachment’s re-designation from a Naval Telecommunication Center (NTCC) to NAVCOMM DET under U.S. Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station, Far East... The detachment has approx. 26 military and 8 contractor personnel with an Officer-in-Charge and Assistant Officer-in-Charge, who are also the Director and Deputy Director for the Information Technology Operations Center (ITOC), Korea. The mission of the detachment is to provide rapid, reliable, secure communications and information technology services using a multi-million dollar communications infrastructure that includes Allied legacy messaging, Secret Internet Protocol Router Networks/Sensitive Protocol Router Network Nodes, Defense Message System, Video Teleconferencing, Army Switch Multiplexer Unit - Secure Phone network, COMSEC/EKMS and several voice/data circuits to mobile and ashore units of Commander in Chief, Republic of Korea Fleet; Commander, Naval Forces Korea; Commander, Seventh Fleet , and Joint forces operating within and around the Republic of Korea in support of numerous exercises, real world events and contingencies operations.
  • Korea - Yongsan ATCU-100A - photos
  • Philippines (NPO) - 
  • Hong Kong
  • Vietnam - NAVCOMMSTA Saigon - 1963 Info
  • Vietnam - NAVCOMMSTA Cam Ranh Bay "Bow Line" 
                  - 1967 construction article
                  - transmitter site photo
                  - photos, history & many photos (old link), video
  • Vietnam- NAVCOMMFAC Da Nang "Sea Anchor" 
    • Vietnam - Danang East "Triangle Building" comm center
    • Vietnam - Marble Mountain transmitter site
    • Vietnam - Monkey Mountain receiver site - sign
  • Vietnam - Binh Thuy Communications Detachment - patch
  • Vietnam - Can Tho ATCU-100A - Photo Page
  • Thailand - U-Tapao ATCU-100 - Photo Page
  • Australia - North West Cape (renamed Harold E. Holt), Exmouth (NWC) - Info and Photo Page
  • New Zealand - Christchurch (ZLK) - Info and Photo page
  • Iceland - Keflavik - Info and Photo Page
    • Iceland - Little Rock receiver site - info
    • Iceland - Rockville receiver site - info
    • Iceland - Grindavik transmittter site -  info
  • Germany - Bremerhaven NAVCOMMU - Northeast Atlantic ship-shore traffic in 1950's
  • Great Britain - London England
  • Greece - Nea Makri control and receiver site (NGR) - closed 1990 - Info and Photo Page 
                  - patchweb site, cool alumni web site with 3D models
                  - antenna photos
  • Italy - Naples (NNI) - estab. 1962 - Info Page
    • 1963 - NAVCOMMUNIT Naples established at Bagnoli
    • 1968 - renamed NAVCOMMSTA Italy
    • Apr 76 - renamed NAVCAMS MED
    • Oct 91 - renamed NCTAMS MED
    • Oct 05 - renamed NAVCOMTELSTA NAPLES
  • Italy - Sicily
    • Sigonella Sicily - Info and Photo Page
      • Aug 58 - COMM center established as part of NAF Sigonella..
      • Jul 72 - NAVCOMMDET Sigonella formed.
      • Apr 76 - renamed NAVCAMS MED DET Sigonella.
      • Oct 87 - renamed NAVCOMMSTA Sicily as its own command.
      • Oct 91 - renamed NAVCOMTELSTA Sicily.
    • Niscemi Sicily transmitter site
      • Oct 91 - NRTF Niscemi established on a large plateau in the south-central part of Sicily. with 41 HF transmitters and one 827 foot LF transmitter - info
  • Spain - Rota control and receiver site - estab. 1962 patch
    • 1993 became NCTAMS MED DET Rota
    • Spain - Moron transmitter site - estab. 1962
    • Spain - Guardamar Del Segura LF transmitter site - estab. 1962 - Info and Photo page
  • Ethiopia (Eritrea) - Asmara/Kagnew (NKA)  1948-1977  - Info and Photo Page
  • Morocco - Port Lyautey  - (NHY) - estab. 1947 - Info and Photo Page
    • Sidi Yahia control and receiver site
    • Bouknadel Transmitter Site
  • Libya - Tripoli (NTM & BFT) NAVCOMMU Four- Mediterranean ship-shore traffic in 1950's
  • Saudi Arabia - Dhahrain NAVCOMMU - Arabian Sea ship-shore traffic in 1950's
  • Indian Ocean - Diego Garcia, BIOT (NKW) Photo and Info Page, patch
  • Antarctica - 

Pre-war COMMSTA photos page - includes several very early shots


Miscellaneous COMMSTA photos to be sorted later

postcard-adak-91.jpg (83554 bytes)

1970 Post Card "At the foot of Adagdak Volcano (Inactive), the US Naval Communication Station Adak, Alaska overlooks Clam Lagoon"

morocco-1952-01.jpg (37906 bytes)
Port Lyautey 1952
-jimcreek-91.JPG (27419 bytes)
Jim Creek
RadioBarrigada02-vi.jpg (43615 bytes)
Transmitter site - Barrigada, Guam
Note semicircular transmission line switchyards surrounding building-

 

patch-comm.jpg (108477 bytes)

plaque-adak-61.jpg (41760 bytes)
plaque-sanfran-01.jpg (47301 bytes)
patch-wash.jpg (108470 bytes)
patch-honolulu.jpg (68275 bytes)
cutler-logo.jpg (97734 bytes)
plaque-norfolk-1103a.jpg (156233 bytes)
NRST-JimCreek.jpg (47427 bytes)
plaque-puget.jpg (73341 bytes)
plaque-pr-01.JPG (23546 bytes)
NCSRoosRds.jpg (13834 bytes)
patch-gitmo.JPG (72794 bytes)
nba-patch-01a.JPG (109793 bytes)
plaque-balboa-1121a.jpg (118550 bytes)
plaque-phil-01.jpg (18656 bytes)
plaque-san_miguel-01.JPG (55857 bytes)
patch-HaroldEHolt.jpg (47161 bytes)
iceland-patch.JPG (34144 bytes)
patch-londonderry-01.jpg (36625 bytes)
plaque-italy-01.jpg (27288 bytes)
plaque-sigonella-01.jpg (119535 bytes)
Greece_Patch.JPG (22888 bytes)
patch-atcu-utapao.jpeg (237519 bytes)
totsuka-NRTF-patch.jpg (54619 bytes)

More COMMSTA patches, plaques, etc.

COMMSTA Equipment Page

frr49-02.jpg (250724 bytes)
FRR-49 rcvrs at Wahiawa, HI
photo from TMC history web site
Receiver_Site_3.jpg (51312 bytes)
FRR-38 and FRR-40 dual diversity receiver systems at Salinas, PR - 1968
photo thanks to George Langenbrunner
RadioBarrigada08-vi.jpg (57524 bytes)
FRT-40 transmitters at Barrigada, Guam
AN/UGC-6 teletype units
Message processing at Finegayan, Guam

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US Naval Communication System Circuits

Circuits, Traffic Handling, and Messages

Radio Ship-Shore Communication Circuits

1964 Fleet Broadcast Areas
commsta-bcast-64.JPG (268388 bytes)

1957 Naval Communication System TTY Network
usn_network1957_b.jpg (367918 bytes)

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