Launch Area - Base Tuono

The Launch Area of the NATO Base of Passo Coe - Monte Toraro, was situated at 1543 m on the plateau of Folgaria (Trentino), in Passo Coe, a few hundred meters from the border with the Region of Veneto. It was built in the early sixties occupying more than 16 hectares of the alpine farm called Malga Zonta. To build it, was necessary to demolish the buildings in the Malga. It was saved the pigsty, located a few meters over the fence, now Memorial of the Resistance (it remember the Nazi massacre of 12 August 1944).

The Base, active from 1966 to 1977, housed three launch sections: the Alpha section (which coincides with the current Base Tuono) located to the south, at the foot of the Maggio mountain; the Bravo section, located in the western sector and the Charlie section, located in the north-west sector. It had twelve Nike-Hercules missiles armed with conventional warhead. The Charlie section was never equipped with missiles, so the only armed sections were Alpha and Bravo.

Near the Launch Area, about 200 meters away, there was the Logistics Decentralized Area (accommodation buildings). The entire Base was bounded by a perimeter fence. Inside the Base, the sections Alpha and Bravo - having been approved for the launch of Hercules missiles armed with nuclear warheads (which were never present in the area) - were enclosed within a second fence.