A Blackwater primer. - My own investigation into Blackwater. *pic heavy*

[arcadian]

All photographs are my own.


Blackwater Training Center - Moyock N.C.

Massive training center in the Dismal Swamp of North Carolina not far from the military bases of Hampton Roads, Virginia. Blackwater trains foreign nationals for mercenary operations overseas at this location. Federal, state and local law enforcement officials are also trained here. Compound includes an airstrip, firing ranges, bombing ranges, close quarter combat training courses, tactical driving courses, amphibious assault training etc.



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Blackwater Pro Shop - Moyock N.C.

Blackwater's public face, on the main highway before you turn into go to the Blackwater Training Center. You can buy a cute Blackwater stuffed animal here. Location of the former offices of Raven Development Corp., Blackwater's property management arm.





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Blackwater Target Systems LLC / Grizzly APC - 100 Corporate Drive, Elizabeth City, N.C.
Blackwater does it's metal work out of this location, manufacturing metal targets for it's various firing ranges at the Blackwater Training Center which is located nearby. This is also the location where Blackwater makes it's Grizzly APC and the main office for it's airships division.







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Blackwater Airships LLC - Weeksville N.C. Enormous WWII era blimp hangar where Blackwater is testing it's surveillance dirigibles(blimps). Located within eye shot of Elizabeth City Coast Guard Air Station which, under the Department of Homeland Security would probably be the contracting agency within the federal government responsible for acquisition of the Blackwater airships program. For scale, the water tower in the photos is the size of a standard water tower you would find in any small town.





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Blackwater Maritime Solutions - Navy Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Blackwater's Navy, now seemingly defunct, but not sunk yet. Former NOAA research vessel MacArthur, Blackwater tried to get into the anti-piracy game with recent events in Somalia. Recent photos of the MacArthur reveal the ship has been painted black with the word SECURITY painted in large white letters across the hull. Allegations of crew mistreatment have put a damper on this enterprise.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/05/14/Blackwater-ship-focus-of-harassment-claims/UPI-95911242329218/



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Erik Prince home - Mclean, VA
Not far from CIA Headquarters, very close to Blackwater corporate offices in Tysons Corner, Va



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Main offices, Total Intelligence Solutions office - 1650 Tysons Boulevard, McLean, Virginia - Tysons II building - as with so many "off the books" type operations, Blackwater changes the name of it's various holdings when the need suits them, usually when they are under scrutiny for misconduct or when the intelligence community turnstile delivers them a new CEO. These offices have held at various times, Total Intelligence Solutions, The Price Group LLC, Prince Group, The Black Group, EP Investments, Freiheit Foundation and Greystone Ltd. . It's the office Erik Prince and Cofer Black work from and is not far from their Northern Virginia homes. This is the brains of the Blackwater world.





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[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

[Echo In Light]

2. Well done

[YOY]

3. I had a meeting in that Tyson's 2 building once.

It's pretty posh...at least for me.

[arcadian]

10. It is a nice building

I'm surprised they let me in. :D

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. Very impressive photo work.

More folks with cameras might be effective, whatcha think?

[arcadian]

6. Thanks, except for the last one.

I used my tiny SD1000 on that one. "Tony" had just come out and told me he was going to call the cops on me after the front desk receptionist flipped out when she saw me taking pictures. That's the flag of Afghanistan on the wall in that one, a war trophy.

[nc4bo]

5. Blackwater/XE - very well funded, murdering machine. Basturds. K&R.

I have to ask how you got the photos (seems they'd not want anyone seeing these) and what were you doing there?

Sorry, my curiosity is killing me.

Edit to remove the no text.

[arcadian]

8. I'm from Southeastern Virginia

So I know the area.

-The Pro shop photos I simply asked the guy behind the counter, he didn't really care, the place had just opened up.
-The entrance photos, I took some pics of the guard booth from across that field, when I approached the checkpoint, the little guard started talking into his walkie-yalkie so I just turned my vehicle around and drove off.
-The Tysons photos are in a large building with many tenanets so it was easy to get close before anybody was "on to me".
-The Hangar photos, were taken from a public road which runs rigt next to the facility.
-The Target System photos were taken on a Saturday morning when there was nobody around.
-Little Creek photos were taken from a condo complex over looking the harbor, though there was Navy harbor patrol(armed) all around(I have pictures of them loafing about) they either didn't see me or didn't care.

[Hannah Bell]

12. how'd you get the picture of his house? looks very close.

[arcadian]

13. It's right on the road.

On a cul-de-sac.

[jhain]

7. Thanks for this.

Keep up the good work.

Have any idea why BW scrapped the 'Adventure race' that was to be held there last Fall?

[arcadian]

9. That's news to me.

Didn't know about that. I'll check it out.

[Wilms]

11. Thanks! K/R

[merh]

14. thanks for the photos, for this thread

didn't Blackwater change it's name?