• 102 Gosport St, Hemmant, Brisbane QLD 4174
  • sales@gatewaycontainerpark.com.au
  • Call: (07) 3348 6463
Gateway Container Sales & Hire
Gateway Container Sales & Hire
Gateway Container Sales & Hire
Menu 
  • Shipping Containers
      • Containers for Sale & Hire by Size
        • 10ft Shipping Containers
        • 20ft Shipping Containers
        • 40ft Shipping Containers
        • Container Specifications
      • Containers for Sale & Hire by Type
        • General Purpose Containers
        • High Cube Containers
        • Side Opening Containers
        • Open Tops
        • Flat Racks
        • Insulated Containers
        • Refrigerated Containers
      • Container Modifications
        • Branded Containers
        • Flammable Goods Storage
        • Portable Offices
        • Workshops
        • Accommodation Units
        • Lunch Rooms
        • Container Shelters
        • Training Containers
        • Switch Rooms
        • Ablution Units
        • Document & Archive Storage
      • Container Accessories
        • Container Security
        • Container Insulation
        • Container Ventilation
        • Container Shelving
        • Electrical Fitouts
        • Access Doors & Windows
        • Container Painting
          • Bargain Box

  • Self Storage & Hire
  • Delivery
  • FAQ
  • Our Difference
    • Our Company
      • About Us
      • Our Team
      • Testimonials
      • Industry Memberships
      • Sponsorships
      • Privacy Policy
    • Competitive Advantage
      • Ask an expert
      • Buy direct from the source
      • On site workshop & depot
      • On site storage
      • Guarantee
      • Service Area
      • Our Terms
      • Buy Back Policy
      • Industry Specialised
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Get a Quote
MENU CLOSE back  

Shipping Container Home for Communications Spies

You are here:
  1. Home
  2. Other, Shipping Container, Buildings, Modified Shipping Containers
  3. Shipping Container Home for Communications Spies
Shipping Container Home for Communications Spies

 

Even the spy agencies of the world find use for shipping containers! On display at the London Science Museum in the UK is an example of a forward operating base for the UK’s communications and cyber spies. 

GCHQ

The UK Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) is one of the three main spy agencies in the country. Famous for cracking the Nazis’ Enigma code in World War 2 using the first military computer Colossus. In the 1940s it was based in Bletchley Park north of London where it shortened the war by several years thanks to their code breaking. 

Image source: BBC

GCHQ was only acknowledged as existing in 1994 when it moved to its famous ‘donut’ offices in Cheltenham in the west of England. What the spy agency deals with these days is a far cry from its codebreaking exploits of yesteryear. As with the US National Security Agency (NSA) in Langley, Virginia, it employs the best hackers it can lay its hands on to enjoin in cyber war with Russia, China and other countries looking to see what the UK government is up to behind the scenes. 

Communications is still a core element of its business. Even the Taliban have better encryption on their cellphones than Nazi Germany ever did and the communications spies are tasked with listening to enemy chatter. Signals Intelligence (SigInt) as it is known has a very important role in war-fighting as when you know what the enemy are saying then you can out-play them. That’s where this container comes in. 

Frontline SigInt container base

Image source: The Sun

Often dropped into place by chinook helicopter, these shipping container SigInt bases are all about placing your side’s ears where it matters. Tapping enemy phones, reading their WhatsApp messages and listening to their combat radios are all important roles for a military that needs to know what its foes are doing, especially in ‘asymmetric warfare’ where there are no solid front lines so no one really knows where the enemy is. 

On display in the London Science Museum  until the end of February next year, the shipping container shows the office of the cyber-warriors as often used in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. It has a sophisticated computer system for code-cracking, various listening devices inside, and communications systems of its own to communicate both with Cheltenham and with friendly forces. 

Image source: The Sun

One of their biggest jobs was working out where improvised explosive devices and roadside bombs were so the soldiers didn’t set them off. According to one of their frontline spies, ‘Fiona’,“When you are deployed at the front end you can see a report changing somebody’s plans… that has quite a significant impact. I feel immense pride. It was without a doubt one of the toughest jobs I have ever done and probably will ever do.”

As well as communications and listening gear in the shipping container, there are some stark reminders of why they are there. Everyone has body armour in case they needed to get out when things got hot, equipment such as sledgehammers and baseball bats to destroy sensitive gear before they did, as well as the escape hatch for getting out in a hurry. 

As to camouflage? In a base like Camp Bastion where sand coloured shipping containers could just as easily be a toilet or an arms magazine as it could a spy box, you’d not really notice it among the hundreds others there. The ones dropped into hot zones would be targets anyway!

The weird and wonderful world of shipping containers…

So there we have it – another bonkers use for shipping containers. We aren’t about to ask you if you’re a spy agency, and whether you’d like a container or two from us to conceal your activities (though it would be cool if you were!). We will just say that we’ve covered all sorts of ways shipping containers can be used, from farms to nuclear power stations, so if you’ve an idea to use one in a normal/abnormal way, do come say hello to our sales team here in Brisbane!

Posted on November 4, 2019
By Mark FinneganOther Shipping Container Buildings Modified Shipping ContainersLeave a comment
Tags:Shipping Container Buildingmodified shipping containershipping container usesshipping container spies

Related Topics

Cambará-Container-House-19-_G243413-889×592
Glamtainers: Stunning Shipping Container Conversions for Luxury Stays
January 18, 2021
Festival 1
How Shipping Containers Make Festival Planning Easy
January 11, 2021
TTCCH-Patio
6 Benefits of Shipping Container Cafes
January 4, 2021

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

clearPost Comment

The Gateway Guarantee

Gateway carry hundreds of containers to choose from in our 2 depots, have decades of experience and know the container business inside out. We guarantee delivery of containers to the South East QLD and Northern NSW region by truck, rail or sea, or any combination thereof.

Gateway is 1 of 5 companies in Queensland who can purchase shipping containers direct from the shipping lines, so you can be sure you are buying or hiring:

  • Direct from the source
  • Widest range of containers
  • Fastest turnaround
  • Guaranteed delivery
  • Quality workmanship

If we don’t have the box you need onsite, we will source the best quality box, for the best value, faster than any other provider. Read More about the Gateway No Nonsense Guarantee.

Get a Quote Today!

gateway-bargin-box

Quick Links
  • Shipping Containers
  • Self Storage & Hire
  • Delivery
  • Container Specifications
  • Guarantee
  • FAQ
  • Our Company
Tune into the 20ft Tabloid
Specials, expert tips, creative containers, innovative mods - shipped straight to your inbox!
Contact Information

Contact Gateway Container Sales
Email enquiry
Phone: +61 7 3348 6463
Fax: +61 7 3348 6588

We are open:
6:00 to 17:00 Mon-Fri

Gateway Container Sales and Hire Pty Ltd
Australian Owned & Operated GatewayAddress:
102 Gosport St, Hemmant QLD 4174

FacebookTwitterGoogle+
Storage & Shipping Containers For Sales & Hire | Brisbane, Gold Coast, QLD – Gateway Containers. © 2020
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy