Niscemi (CL). Satellite image of Naval Radio Transmitter Facility (MUOS)
Niscemi (CL). Naval Radio Transmitter Facility (MUOS) located within the Sughereta di Niscemi Nature Reserve. The protected area includes an oak forest that represents the most significant remnant of cork oak (Quercus suber) mixed with holm oak (Quercus ilex) in Central Sicily. It is a biotope of extraordinary naturalistic value.
Niscemi (CL). The Niscemi MUOS station is one of four ground stations forming the most advanced U.S. military communication system—a network that includes two stations in the United States, one in Australia, and a constellation of five satellites. The Sicilian station is expected to become the primary U.S. military telecommunications hub for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
Niscemi (CL). Satellite image of Naval Radio Transmitter Facility (MUOS)
51st state: M.U.O.S.
in collaboration with the NO MUOS movement, the environmental association A Sud and the Centre for Environmental Conflicts Documentation (CDCA)
Photo and Video Reportage, Italy, 2017
The project is a photo and video reportage about the MUOS (Mobile User Objective System) U.S. military base located in the heart of the Sughereta Nature Reserve in Niscemi, Sicily, a protected natural area since 1997.
MUOS is the U.S. Navy’s next-generation satellite communications system and is one of the most significant symbols of American military presence in Sicily, featuring three large parabolic antennas with a diameter of 18.4 meters. The MUOS antennas are strategic for U.S. military communication, helping to coordinate and manage operations and activities globally.
The MUOS facility within the Niscemi Nature Reserve has led to the destruction of Mediterranean scrub, impacting bird migratory routes and causing disorientation among social and pollinating insects, particularly bees. This has damaged spontaneous flora and had subsequent consequences throughout the ecosystem. The primary concern is the increase in electromagnetic emissions from the MUOS system’s antennas.
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"The construction of the MUOS system proceeds in violation of all existing rules for protection from exposure to electromagnetic fields."​
