Vardø's radar was used to prevent collisions between satellites over Iraq, and much of the precision bombing over Iraq was steered by satellites in fixed position over the equator.
"That both commercial and military satellites could operate securely without colliding with anything was an important precondition for operations in Iraq," Wahl told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK).
Wahl said that the important role of Vardø has been noted by both Norwegian and American sources. The Finnmark facility has unique technical capacity and is situated much farther east than most of the USA's radar systems, allowing it to monitor stationary satellites over Bangladesh, according to US military sources.
Norwegian defense intelligence sources would not deny the claim that Vardø had a role in the Iraq war but preferred that the question be posed to American authorities.
Divisional director at the Defense Intelligence Service, Tom Rykken, said that information on objects in space was provided.
"We do this daily. How the information is used concretely, by the USA, for example, is difficult for me to say," Rykken told NRK.
