World’s biggest spy base is in UK where agents keep tabs on enemies from windowless room the size of a football pitch
THE UK is home to the world's biggest spy base where secret agents monitor enemies from windowless rooms.
Hundreds of spies are based inside the Pathfinder Building at RAF Wyton, deep in the Cambridgeshire countryside.
Specialist teams work around the clock in a windowless room the size of an indoor football pitch.
One official said it is the "biggest top secret floor plate" dedicated to intelligence analysis, specifically for a group of close allies known as the Five Eyes - the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The various teams are dedicated to the security threats posed to the UK, such as China's fearsome collection of hypersonic missiles.
The DF-27, an intermediate-range ballistic missile, travels at five times the speed of sound. One anonymous official said: "Those are dangerous weapons."
One UK official explained how UK defence would be overwhelmed if large numbers of missiles rained down on Britain so targeting the weapons at source would be crucial to protect the public.
The UK is without a missile defence system and would have to rely on fighter plans and warships to shoot down the missiles.
But China is not the only threat to the UK and officials are charged with keeping a close eye on everything from Russia's war in Ukraine to the Middle East.
In a briefing to the media one spy said to The Times: "There’s a storm in the Middle East and a hurricane in Ukraine. China is climate change … Everybody is incredibly busy."RAF Wyton opened in 1916 as a training establishment for the Royal Flying Corps.
During the Second World War it was primarily a bomber base, under the command of Group Captain (later Air Vice-Marshal) Don Bennett.
But now the former air base is home to the world's largest spy base. Experts include linguists, civilian scientists, psychologists, geographers and data experts. However some of the staff are sent on top secret missions overseas.
RAF Wyton: From training airfield to world's biggest intelligence base
The current site evolved over a 100 year period from a training airfield to a spybase.
1916 - Airfield opened as a training airfield for the Royal Flying Corps.
1939 - Aircraft from RAF Wyton took part in some of the first bombing raids of the Second World War.
1942 - The Pathfinder Force was formed here under Group Captain Don Bennett.
1956 - Joint School of Aerial Photographic Interpretation was founded.
2013 - Pathfinder building opened to house the Joint Force Intelligence Group.
2016: National Centre for Geospatial Intelligence established
James Heappey, the armed forces minister, said: “In a world where we can no longer take truth for granted, the work carried out by Defence Intelligence is increasingly critical to keeping our nation safe — providing insight and foresight to disrupt and counter the future threats we face from abroad and at home.”