The New Zealand Government Communications Security Bureau operates what it describes as a radio

Radio

Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...

 communications interception facility at Tangimoana

Tangimoana

Tangimoana is a community in the Manawatu-Wanganui Region of the North Island of New Zealand. It had a population of 290 permanent residents in 2001. It is located 15 kilometres southwest of Bulls, and 30 kilometres west of Palmerston North....

, 30 kilometres west of Palmerston North, in New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

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According to the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), the facility is part of ECHELON

ECHELON

ECHELON is a name used in global media and in popular culture to describe a signals intelligence collection and analysis network operated on behalf of the five signatory states to the UK–USA Security Agreement...

, the worldwide network of signals interception

SIGINT

Signals intelligence is intelligence-gathering by interception of signals, whether between people , whether involving electronic signals not directly used in communication , or combinations of the two...

 facilities run by the UKUSA (UK-USA Security Agreement) consortium of intelligence agencies (which shares global electronic and signals intelligence among the Intelligence agencies of the US, UK, Canada, Australia and NZ); its role in this capacity was first identified publicly by peace researcher Owen Wilkes in 1984., and investigated in detail by peace activist and independent journalist Nicky Hager

Nicky Hager

Nicky Hager is an author and investigative journalist born in Levin, New Zealand and now resides in Wellington. He generally writes about issues involving intelligence networks, environmental issues and politics. He has degrees in physics and philosophy...

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The Tangimoana station is a sister operation to a similar facility run at Waihopai

GCSB Waihopai

New Zealand's Government Communications Security Bureau operates what it describes as a satellite communications monitoring facility in the Waihopai Valley...

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Operations

According to the FAS, the equipment at the Tangimoana facility

"is equally capable of receiving signals transmitted by radio and satellite which do not include foreign intelligence and which are domestic concerning and involving NZ citizens."