Site 512 is the name given to a United States Department of Defense radar facility atop Har Qeren in Israel's Negev desert to provide ballistic missile early warning against launches by Iran or its proxy groups against Israel and other US allies in the Middle East.[1][2]
Site 512 | |
|---|---|
| Har Qeren, Negev Near Kmehin in Israel | |
| Coordinates | 30.995952, 34.494353 |
| Site information | |
| Operator | 1st Space Brigade |
| Controlled by | United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command |
The site features a AN/TPY-2 Surveillance Transportable Radar operated by the US Army's 1st Space Brigade.[3] Originally operated by approximately 100 soldiers,[4] that number has increased significantly since the site's initial construction, with a $35.8 million expansion in 2023 increasing the base's capacity to 1000.[5]
One of a number of facilities operated under the auspices of the Missile Defense Agency's focus on protecting against potential missile launches from smaller, regional actors such as Iran and North Korea, the base operates alongside similar AN/TPY-2 radar positions in Japan and another clandestine site called Site K near Malatya, Turkey.[6]
In November 2023, following the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel the previous month, a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery was also deployed to the site.[7]
