Kwajalein Atoll

Introducing Kwajalein Atoll

Nowhere in Micronesia is the US military presence so pronounced as on Kwajalein Atoll, a US$4 billion space tracking and missile defence facility operated by the US Department of Defense.

Measured by lagoon size Kwajalein is the world's largest coral atoll, its 97 islands surrounding an immense 2175 sq km body of water. The original main base for the US nuclear test programme, and an essential component in the development of the 'Star Wars' missile defence system, Kwajalein has been at the heart of US weapons of mass destruction development for nearly 60 years. The lagoon, sometimes described as 'the world's largest catcher's mitt', is the target and splashdown point for intercontinental ballistic missile tests (ICBMs); many come from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, 6760km away, a distance covered in under 40 minutes. The Kwajalein Missile Range (officially called US Army Kwajalein Atoll, or USAKA) includes Kwajalein Island to the south, Roi-Namur Island in the north and some smaller islands between the two. Two-thirds of the lagoon is termed the Mid Atoll Corridor, and access to this area is severely restricted.

Last updated: Jul 22, 2009