Peshawar Air Station

Camp Badaber or Peshawar Air Station is a former Central Intelligence Agency-United States Air Force Security Service listening post, used by the 6937th Communications Group from July 17, 1959 until January 7, 1970, when the facility was formally closed. It was located in Badaber, a remote area about 4 miles (6.4 km) south of the city of Peshawar, Pakistan. It is now a non-flying base of the Pakistan Air Force.

In 1955, the US Air Force started to survey various locations in West Pakistan for a radio intercept site. At that time, the US was interested in radio transmission intercepts from the Soviet Union. The survey team recommended the site be located near Peshawar in West Pakistan. Its final location was located in Badaber, a remote area about 4 miles (6.4 km) south of the city of Peshawar, Pakistan. Creating the site would be known as project Sand Bag.

The United States established permission from Ayub Khan the President of the Pakistan government with the establishment of a 10-year lease of the property. Construction of the Peshawar Air Station started in 1958. Known as ‘Little USA’, The air station was divided into two areas: the administration buildings, barracks, dining hall, movie theater, and a gym. The operations compound included housing for the specialized listening equipment. Later construction added a bowling alley, golf course, base housing for dependent family members, and a DoDDS school.

Staff at the air base grew to about 800 personnel. An additional 500 support personnel provided other services such as mail handling, cooks, chaplains, teachers, etc. ...

In September 1965, the tensions between India and Pakistan peaked. Construction crews built bomb shelters in the front yards of all family housing units for protection.

Peshawar Air Station was used as the communication station for the ill-fated May 1, 1960, flight of a Lockheed U-2 spy plane, piloted by Gary Powers, which was shot down over the Soviet Union.

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