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Barbados’ Abandoned HARP Superguns

Barbados’ Abandoned HARP Superguns

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During the latter half of the 20th century, as global powers engaged in an intense arms race, Canada and the US embarked on a covert endeavor known as HARP. This ambitious plan aimed to launch satellites and other objects into outer space using massive cannons. Though the project was short-lived, remnants of these colossal guns now rest on a remote coastal site in Barbados, just waiting to be explored by the most intrepid visitors.

By: Omri Westmark

Date: 22:18 24.11.24

Last Update: 22:18 24.11.24

Abandoned Places Rural Barbados North America & The Caribbean

The High-Altitude Research Project (HARP) was an ambitious joint effort by the United States and Canada during the 1960s, spearheaded by pioneering Canadian engineer Gerald Bull. The project’s goal was to explore the use of ballistic technology for delivering payloads into space, bypassing traditional and costly rocket systems.

By repurposing naval artillery into enormous cannons, HARP sought to revolutionize space exploration. Its crowning achievement was a 130-foot-long, 16-inch naval gun barrel capable of firing projectiles at incredible velocities, reaching the fringes of the atmosphere.

Despite achieving notable milestones, including a record-setting launch that sent a projectile 112 miles high, the project succumbed to financial and political pressures, ending in 1967.

Among the HARP project’s testing sites, the one in Barbados stands out as a Cold-War relic of remarkable scale and ambition. Its relative proximity to the equator made it a prime spot for testing experimental payloads. Transporting the unwieldy gun barrels to the site was a feat of engineering by its own right, involving the use of temporary rail tracks to move them from a nearby beach to their permanent base.

In 1963, the first test firings sent projectiles soaring to altitudes on par with early rocket missions. However, the intense noise and vibrations caused by the gun’s operation disrupted the lives of nearby residents, a nuisance that only compounded the many challenges the project already faced. Despite its groundbreaking achievements, HARP was ultimately discontinued due to budgetary pressures and shifting priorities, and soon thereafter, the site fell into a state of disrepair.

Today, the cluster of decaying HARP guns in Barbados is a haunting vestige of this bold experiment. The largest cannon, with its corroded barrel partially obscured by dense vegetation, rests within an active military base near Foul Bay. While the site is off-limits to the public, persistent visitors can secure entry with permission from the Barbados Defense Force.

The area’s remote location and rugged terrain make a guided visit highly advisable. To reach the site, take the road east from the airport, passing the Concorde Experience. Then follow a series of turns toward Gemswick, eventually transitioning to unpaved paths leading to the cliffs where the gun rests.