GEOSPATIAL FRONTIERS

A Publication by Project Geospatial

LOOKING BEYOND

THE MAP

Geospatial Frontiers, a new publication from Project Geospatial, brings together leading voices and experts from across the geospatial ecosystem to tackle the industry's most pressing challenges. Through in-depth articles and discussions, Geospatial Frontiers aims to explore innovative solutions and spark critical conversations that will shape the future of geospatial technology and its applications.

AUTHORS

Adam Simmons

Keith Barber

Fred Woods

The Silent Front: Excavating the Nuclear Belts of Cold War Europe
Adam Simmons Adam Simmons

The Silent Front: Excavating the Nuclear Belts of Cold War Europe

Uncover the forgotten geography of the Cold War through a forensic investigation of the "Nike Belt," a continuous chain of nuclear-capable missile batteries that once shielded Western Europe from the North Sea to the Alps. By overlaying "archive missile defense KML" files onto modern satellite imagery, this article reveals the "Silent Front" where the US Army's 59th Ordnance Brigade served as custodial agents for tactical nuclear warheads on foreign soil. From the restored high-altitude launch pads of Base Tuono to the forest-reclaimed ruins of the Sauerland, explore a "digital archaeology" of the "Belt of Fire"—a defense system where the protection of land often necessitated its potential irradiation.

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