North Warning System

LOGO of the NORTH WARNING SYSTEM OFFICE (NWSO).

NWSO is now part of theDirector General Aerospace Engineering Program Management (Radar & Communication systems) DGAEPM(R&CS)

 NOTICE:

The information provided on this page is of a general nature only and is not supported or authorized in any way by the North Warning System Office, the Canadian Forces, or the Government of Canada.

The North Warning System was a joint US/Canadian program designed to replace thirty-one Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line radars, located across northern Alaska and Canada with eleven General Electric AN/FPS-117 Long-Range Radars (LRR) and thirty-six UNISYS AN/FPS-124 Short Range Radars aka “gap filler” (SRR) Unattended Radars (UARS). Three other LRRs have been installed at sites on the Eastern Labrador coast. Maintenance Control Facilities (MCS) are collocated with the Alaskan Regional Operations Control Center (ROCC) and Canadian Sector Operations Control Center (SOCC) to provide remote control of UAR sites. A satellite communications network provides connectivity between the LRRs, UARS, MCS, and the ROCC/SOCCs. Ground-to-Air-to-Ground (G/A/G) radios installed at LRRs provide G/A/G communications between the Alaskan and Canadian control centers and aircraft in those regions.

The North Warning System replaced the ageing Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line that was constructed in the early 1950’s. The North Warning System became operational in 1987/88. The following map depicts the approximate site locations. The Site Table below provides information on the various NWS sites. Additional information on the DEWLine can be found here.



North Warning System Commemorative Pewter Belt Buckle (1989)

A typical East Coast North Warning System LONG RANGE RADAR SITE (LRR) in northern Labrador LAB-2, Saglek.

A typical North Warning System SHORT RANGE RADAR SITE (SRR) in northern Labrador LAB-4 Big Bay.

A former DEWLine Site, now North Warning Site, FOX-Main, Hall Beach NU.

 


NORTH WARNING SYSTEM SITE TABLE

Note: Click on site Geographic Place Name in the table below to go to site information in a new page.

  • DEW = DEWLine
  • DEW AUX = DEWLine Auxiliary Site
  • DEW “I” SITE = DEWLine Intermediate Site
  • DEW MAIN = DEWLine Main Site
  • DEW REAR COM = DEWLine Rearward Communication Site
  • NWS = North Warning System
  • NWS LRR = North Warning System, Long Range Radar Site (AN/FPS-117 radar.)
  • NWS SRR = North Warning System, Short Range Radar Site (AN/FPS-124 radar.)
  • NWS LSS = North Warning System, Logistic Support Site
  • LAT/LONG = Latitude and Longitude)
NWS SITE NAME
and LAT/LONG
SITE TYPEGEOGRAPHICAL
PLACE NAME
RADAR
TYPE
IMPORTANT DATES
**LIZ SITES**
LIZ-2
69 44 08N
163 00 59W
Old DEW AUX
NWS LRR
Point Lay,
Alaska,
AN/FPS-117NWS Site Established 89/90
site deactivated 1994
LIZ-3
70 36 32.65N
159 52 07.93W
Old DEW AUX
NWS SRR
Wainwright,
Alaska
AN/FPS-124NWS Site Established 1994
DEW Operations ceased Apr 1995
**POW SITES**
POW-MAIN
71 19 38N
156 38 10W
Old DEW MAIN
NWS LRR
Point Barrow,
Alaska
AN/FPS-117NWS Site Established 89/90
POW-1
70 54 37N
153 14 23W
Old DEW AUX
NWS SRR
Lonely,
Alaska
AN/FPS-124DEW Operations ceased Oct 1990
NWS Site Established 1994.
Closed 2007 due to soil erosion = budget concerns.
POW-2
70 29 54N
149 53 22W
Old DEW AUX
NWS LRR
Oliktok Point,
Alaska
AN/FPS-117NWS Site Established 89/90
POW-3
70 10 21.23N
146.51.18.03W
Old DEW AUX
NWS SRR
Flaxman Island,
Alaska

AKA Bullen Point
AN/FPS-124DEW Operations ceased Apr 1995
NWS Site established 1994
**BAR SITES**
BAR-MAIN
70 07 49.5N
143 38 21W
Old DEW MAIN
NWS LRR
Barter Island,
Alaska
AN/FPS-117NWS Site Established 15 NOV 1990
BAR-1
69 35 53N
140 11 00W
Old DEW AUX
NWS SRR
Komakuk Beach,
Yukon
AN/FPS-124DEW Operations ceased 04 AUG 1993
NWS Site Established OCT 1990
BAR-B
69 19 49N
138 44 13W
Old DEW I-SITE
NWS SRR
Stokes Point,
Yukon
AN/FPS-124"I" site operations ceased 1963
NWS Site Established JUL 1991
BAR-2
68 55 23N
137 15 32W
Old DEW AUX
NWS LRR
Shingle Point,
Yukon
AN/FPS-117DEW Operations ceased JUN 1989
NWS Site Established Jun 1989
BAR-BA3
68 53 9.22N
133 56 31.81W
NWS SRRStorm Hills,
NWT
AN/FPS-124NWS Site established NOV 1990
BAR-3
69 26 35N
132 59 55W
Old DEW AUX
NWS SRR
Tuktoyatuk,
NWT
AN/FPS-124DEW Operations ceased 13 SEP 1993
NWS Site Established SEP 1990
BAR-DA1
69 36 30N
130 54 00W
NWS SRRLiverpool Bay,
NWT
AN/FPS-124NWS Site established NOV 1990
BAR-4
69 55 38N
128 58 13W
Old DEW AUX
NWS SRR
Nicholson
Peninsula,
NWT
AN/FPS-124DEW Operations ceased 09 SEP 1993
NWS Site established OCT 1990
BAR-E
70 00 59.02N
126 56 35.11W
Old DEW I-SITE
NWS SRR
Horton River,
NWT

aka Malloch Hills
AN/FPS-124"I" site operations ceased 1963
NWS Site Established JUN 1991
PIN-MAIN
70 10 17N
124 43 30W
Old DEW MAIN
NWS LRR
Cape Parry,
NWT
AN/FPS-117DEW Operations ceased AUG 1989
NWS Site established Aug 1989
PIN-1BD
69 40 .96N
121 40 14.75W
NWS SRRKeats Point,
NWT
AN/FPS-124NWS Site established JUL 1991
PIN 1BG
69 16 00N
119 13 00W
NWS SRRCroker River,
Nunavut
AN/FPS-124NWS Site established AUG 1991
PIN-2A
68 50 23N
116 58 57W
NWS SRRHarding River,
Nunavut
AN/FPS-124NWS Site established SEP 1991
PIN-CB
68 45 19.16N
114 56 21.58W
NWS SRRBernard Harbour,
Nunavut
AN/FPS-124NWS Site established SEP 1991
PIN-3
68 28 45N
113 13 32W
Old DEW AUX
NWS LRR
Lady Franklin
Point
Nunavut
AN/FPS-117NWS Site established JUN 1989
DEW Operations ceased JUN 1989
PIN-DA
68 29 09.26N
110 51 50.58W
NWS SRREdinburgh Island,
Nunavut
AN/FPS-124NWS Site established OCT 1991
PIN-EB
69 01 30N
107 48 10W
NWS SRRCape Peel West,
Nunavut
AN/FPS-124NWS Operations ceased OCT 1991
**CAM SITES**
CAM-MAIN
69 06 58.72N
105 07 08.83W
Old DEW MAIN
NWS LRR/LSS
Cambridge Bay,
Nuvavut
AN/FPS-117NWS Site established SEP 1989
DEW Operations ceased SEP 1989
CAM-A3A
68 57 47.39N
103 45 34.33W
NWS SRRSturt Point,
Nuvavut
AN/FPS-124NWS Site established OCT 1991
CAM-1A
68 44 31N
101 51 17W
NWS SRRJenny Lind
Island,
Nuvavut
AN/FPS-124NWS Site established OCT 1990
CAM-B
68 19 02.71N
100 04 09.15W
Old DEW I-SITE
NWS SRR
Hat Island,
Nuvavut
AN/FPS-124I site Operations ceased 1963
NWS Site established SEP 1991
CAM-2
68 40 48.35N
97 48 38.84W
Old DEW AUX
NSW SRR
Gladman Point,
Nuvavut
AN/FPS-124NWS Site established OCT 1990
DEW Operations ceased 1992
CAM-CB
68 38 10.37N
95 52 11.99W
NWS SRRGjoa Haven,
Nuvavut
AN/FPS-124NWS Site established OCT 1990
CAM-3
68 47 34.94N
93 26 25.17W
Old DEW AUX
NWS LRR
Shepherd Bay,
Nuvavut
AN/FPS-117NWS Site established JUL 1989
DEW Operations ceased JUL 1989
CAM-D
68 35 41.34N
91 57 24.66W
Old DEW I-SITE
NWS SRR
Simpson Lake,
Nuvavut

aka SITE 25
AN/FPS-124"I" site Operations ceased 1963
NWS Site established SEP 1991
CAM-4
68 26 13.06N
89 43 34.07W
Old DEW AUX
NWS SRR
Pelly Bay,
Nuvavut
AN/FPS-124NWS Site established SEP 1991
DEW Operations ceased 1992
CAM-5A
68 39 53.306N
85 33 28.423W
NWS SRRCape McLoughlin,
Nuvavut
AN/FPS-124NWS Site established JUL 1992
CAM-FA
69 06 38.46N
83 32 23.57W
NWS SRRLailor River,
Nuvavut
AN/FPS-124NWS Site established AUG 1992
**FOX SITES**
FOX.MAIN
68 45 39.30N
81 13 35.20W
Old DEW MAIN
NWS LRR/LSS
Hall Beach,
Nuvavut

aka SITE 30
AN/FPS-117NWS Site established SEP 1989 DEW Operations ceased SEP 1989
FOX-1
69 04 01.79N
79 03 55.15W
OLD DEW AUX
NWS SRR
Rowley Island,
Nuvavut
AN/FPS-124NWS Site established AUG 1991
FOX-A
69 13 26.23N
77 13 48.97W
Old DEW I-SITE
NWS SRR
Bray Island,
Nuvavut

aka SITE 32
AN/FPS-124"I" site Operations ceased 1963
NWS site established AUG 1991
FOX-2
68 53 56.24N
75 08 20.12W
Old DEW AUX
NWS SRR
Longstaff Bluff,
Nuvavut

aka SITE 33
AN/FPS-124NWS Site established NOV 1990
DEW Operations ceased 1991
FOX-B
68 37 14N
73 12 58W
Old DEW I-SITE
NWS SRR
Nudluadjuk Lake,
Nuvavut

aka WEST BAFFIN
AN/FPS-124"I" site Operations ceased 1963
NWS Site established OCT 1991
FOX-3
68 39 02.56N
71 13 58.93W
Old DEW AUX
NWS LRR
Dewar Lakes,
Nuvavut
AN/FPS-117NWS Site establishedJUL 1989
DEW Operations ceased JUL 1989
FOX-CA
68 38 51N
69 07 47W
NWS SRRKangok Fjord,
Nunavut
AN/FPS-124NWS Site established SEP 1992
FOX-4
68 28 21N
66 48 01W
Old DEW AUX
NWS SRR
Cape Hooper,
Nuvavut

aka SITE 37
AN/FPS-124NWS Site established DEC 1990
DEW Operations ceased 1991
FOX-5
67 32 07.49N
63 47 11.43W
Old DEW AUX
NWS SRR
Broughton Island,
Nuvavut

aka Qikiqtarjuaq
aka SITE 39
AN/FPS-124NWS Site established DEC 1990
DEW Operations ceased 1991
**DYE SITES**
DYE-MAIN
66 39 52.46N
61 21 21.53W
Old DEW MAIN
NWS LRR
Cape Dyer,
Nuvavut

aka SITE 41
AN/FPS-117NWS Site established AUG 1989
DEW Operations ceased AUG 1989
**BAF SITES**
BAF-2
64 57 28N
63 34 46W
NWS SRRCape Mercy,
Nuvavut
AN/FPS-124JUL 1992
BAF-3 (RES-X-1)
63 20 20N
64 09 28W
Old DEW
REAR COM SITE
NWS LRR
Brevoort Island,
Nuvavut
AN/FPS-117NWS Site established OCT 1988
BAF-4A
62 30 22.00N
64 31 06.183W
NWS SRRLoks Island,
Nuvavut
AN/FPS-124NWS Site established AUG 1992
BAF-5(RES-X)
61 35 47.95N
64 38 20.40W
Old DEW
REAR COM SITE
NWS SRR
Resolution
Island,
Nuvavut
AN/FPS-124NWS Site established SEP 1991
Pinetree Operations ceased nov 1961
LAB-1
59 59 15N
64 09 55W
NWS SRRCape Kakiviak
Labrador
AN/FPS-124NWS Site established JUL 1992
LAB-2
58 29 19.35N
62 35 08.00W
NWS LRRSaglek,
Labrador
AN/FPS-117NWS Site established NOV 1988
LAB-3
57 08 07.6N
61 28 32.8W
NWS SRRCape Kiglapait,
Labrador
AN/FPS-124NWS Site established AUG 1992
LAB-4
55 44 30N
60 25 42W
NWS SRRBig Bay,
Labrador
AN/FPS-124NWS Site established SEP 1992
LAB-5
54 42 53N
58 21 30W
NWS SRRTukialik
Labrador
AN/FPS-124NWS Site established OCT 1992
LAB-6
53 33 08N
56 49 46W
NWS LRRCartwright,
Labrador
AN/FPS-117NWS Site established NOV 1988
Pinetree operations ceased JUN 1968

 

Please comments or suggestions for additions or corrections to Brian Jeffrey at Brian@VE3UU.com.