Traveling could bring to you the strangest experiences. The world’s collection of military bases run the area from hazardous mountaintop forts to apparently bulletproof underground shelters. If you are finding something to soothe your love for uniqueness, here are some of the strangest military sites in the world.
1. Željava Air Base
LOCATION – CROATIA
This place was considered of the scariest bases in former Yugoslavia, it was the largest air base it had, and one of the largest in Europe. It is believed the base held two full fighter squadrons or 48 fighter jets.
The more interesting part of the base was the underground bunkers, capable of surviving a 20kt nuclear blasts and being self-sustainable for up to 30 days.
After it was apparent that the Yugoslav Wars of 91 were not going their way, the air base was destroyed by the Yugoslavian government. Nowadays, it is sometimes used for police training, but its primary purpose is an awesome urban exploration spot.
2. Devil’s Slide Bunkers
LOCATION – CALIFORNIA
The Devil’s Slide is an aptly named area of the Pacific Coastline close to the city of Montara. It definitely looks like it was airlifted from the rocky Mediterranean coast.
One of the hills was part of a military triangulation station designed during WW2. It served its purpose of protecting the harbor of San Francisco from the threat of a Japanese military attack.
The bunker is still standing to this day, barely, but it’s still there. The area is prone to landslides and heavy erosion, chances are that the Devil’s Slide Bunker will slip into the Pacific Ocean sometime soon, so pack your bags if you want to see it in person. Beware of the current owners too, the area is now private property!
3. RAF Stenigot
LOCATION – ENGLAND
Unfortunately, this is not the site of a downed UFO, as much as we want to believe the truth is out there, this is not it.
RAF is an acronym for the British Royal Air Force, and the stenigot site was a radar station used for the early detection of Nazi Air Raids.
After the war, the Stenigot got a major facelift and the 4 dishes that we see in these pictures, as part of the ACE High programme. ACE High stands for Allied Command Europe and it was a radio communication system created by NATO in 1956.
As the years passed, there was less and less need for this location, it was officially decommissioned in the late ’80s.
But, still, it looks pretty strange from afar and Also, it’s “closed now”.
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4. CAPE MAY BUNKER
LOCATION – NEW JERSEY
Don’t you just hate it when you go to the beach, and the only available spots to relax are right next to an abandoned WW2 era bunker?
The official name for this structure is Batter 223, it was built between the World Wars as part of the modernization of the Coastal Defense Program.
This bunker sports 6 foot thick walls that were ready to take direct hits from any enemy battleship, luckily, the bunker was never put to good use.
There are no plans of destroying the bunker, so it’s safe to say that it will remain on the beaches of New Jersey for quite a long time.
5. Stanley R. Mickelson Safeguard Complex
LOCATION – NORTH DAKOTA
SRMSC for short is probably one of the most interesting things you can see in North Dakota, the state that boasts the title of the “Least Visited State”, but hey they also have the lowest unemployment rate in the country.
Anyway, back to the base, this place was a crucial USA defense location, holding 30 SPARTAN antiballistic missiles capable of intercepting nuclear warheads Engl 400+ miles away, and another 70 SPRINT short-range anti-ballistic missiles.
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The site was first operational on April 1st, 1975, and was deactivated on February 10th, 1976. The complex cost $6 Billion dollars to build and operated for less than a year, that’s about 545,454,545 dollars per month.
