The Distant Early Warning Line, also known as the DEW Line or Early Warning Line, was a system of radar stations in the far northern Arctic region of Canada, with additional stations along the North Coast and Aleutian Islands of Alaska, in addition to the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Iceland. It was set up to detect incoming Soviet bombers during the Cold War, and provide early warning for a land based invasion.

Key

Lat/Long = Latitude and Longitude DEW = DEW Line DEW Aux = DEW Line Auxiliary site DEW "I" site = DEW Line Intermediate site DEW Main = DEW Line Main site DEW Rear Comm. = DEW Line Rearward Communication site NWS = North Warning System NWS LRR = North Warning System Long Range Radar site NWS SRR = North Warning System Short Range Radar site NWS LSS = North Warning System Logistic Support site a.k.a. = also known as N/A DEW = Not applicable to the DEW Line N/A NWS = Not applicable to the North Warning System

The sites Site Code Lat/Long Site Type Geographical name (associated station) StateProvinceTerritory Significant dates Notes Aleutian DEW LRR AK DEW operations ceased 30 September 1969 N/A NWS Aleutian DEW LRR AK DEW operations ceased 30 September 1969 N/A NWS DEW "UNK" site AK N/A NWS Aleutian DEW LRR AK DEW operations ceased 30 September 1969 N/A NWS DEW Aux / NWS LRR AK NWS site established 1989–1990Site deactivated 1994 DEW "I" site AK "I" site operations ceased 1963 N/A NWS Aleutian DEW LRR AK DEW operations ceased 30 September 1969 N/A NWS DEW "I" site AK "I" site operations ceased 1963 N/A NWS Aleutian DEW LRR AK DEW operations ceased 30 September 1969 N/A NWS DEW Aux / NWS SRR AK NWS site established 1994DEW operations ceased April 1995 Closed 2007 due to soil erosion & budget concerns Aleutian DEW LRR AK DEW operations ceased 30 September 1969 N/A NWS – converted to an Aircraft Control and Warning radar stationA height-finder radar was added DEW "I" site AK "I" site operations ceased 1963 N/A NWS DEW Main / NWS LRR AK NWS site established 1989–1990 DEW "I" site AK "I" site operations ceased 1963 N/A NWS DEW Aux / NWS SRR AK DEW "I" site AK "I" site operations ceased 1963 N/A NWS DEW Aux / NWS LRR AK NWS site established 1989–1990 DEW Rear Comm. AK Operations ceased 1963 N/A NWS DEW "I" site AK "I" site operations ceased 1963 N/A NWS DEW Aux / NWS SRR AK DEW operations ceased April 1995NWS site established 1994 Site is physically located at Bullen PointClosed 2007 due to soil erosion and budget concerns DEW "I" site AK "I" site operations ceased 1963 N/A NWSSite located SE Collinson Point DEW Main / NWS LRR AK NWS site established 15 November 1990 Local community name: Kaktovik DEW "I" site AK "I" site operations ceased 1963 N/A NWSSite physically located at Nuvagapak Point DEW Aux / NWS SRR YT DEW operations ceased 4 August 1993NWS site established October 1990 DEW "I" site / NWS SRR YT "I" site operations ceased 1963NWS site established July 1991 DEW Aux / NWS LRR YT DEW operations ceased June 1989NWS site established June 1989 DEW "I" site NT "I" site operations ceased 1963 N/A NWS NWS SRR NT NWS site established November 1990 N/A DEW DEW Aux / NWS SRR NT DEW operations ceased 13 September 1993NWS site established September 1990 DEW "I" site NT "I" site operations ceased 1963 N/A NWS NWS SRR NT NWS site established November 1990 N/A DEW DEW Aux / NWS SRR NT DEW operations ceased 9 September 1993NWS site established October 1990 DEW "I" site / NWS SRR NT "I" site operations ceased 1963NWS site established June 1991 DEW Main / NWS LRR NT DEW operations ceased August 1989NWS site established August 1989 DEW "I" site NT "I" site operations ceased 1963 N/A NWS DEW Rear Comm. BC Operations ceased 1963 N/A NWS NWS SRR NT NWS site established July 1991 N/A DEW DEW Aux NT DEW operations ceased 3 September 1993 N/A NWS NWS SRR NU NWS site established August 1991 N/A DEW DEW "I" site NU "I" site operations ceased 1963 N/A NWS NWS SRR NU NWS site established September 1991 N/A DEW DEW Aux NU DEW operations ceased 31 August 1993 N/A NWS NWS SRR NU NWS site established September 1991 N/A DEWSite is SW of DEW site. DEW "I" site NU "I" site operations ceased 1963 N/A NWS DEW Aux / NWS LRR NU NWS site established June 1989DEW operations ceased June 1989 Site burnt down 10 January 2000 DEW "I" site NU "I" site operations ceased 1963 N/A NWS DEW Rear Comm. AB Operations ceased 1964 N/A NWS NWS SRR NU NWS site established October 1991 N/A DEW DEW Aux NU DEW operations ceased 21 August 1993 N/A NWS NWS SRR NU NWS operations ceased October 1991 N/A DEW DEW "I" site NU "I" site operations ceased 1963 N/A NWS DEW Main / NWS LRR/LSS NU NWS site established September 1989DEW operations ceased September 1989 Main transportation hub NWS SRR NU NWS site established October 1991 N/A DEW DEW "I" site NU "I" site operations ceased 1963 N/A NWS NWS SRR NU NWS site established October 1990 N/A DEW DEW Aux NU DEW operations ceased 1992 N/A NWS DEW "I" site / NWS SRR NU "I" site operations ceased 1963NWS site established September 1991 DEW Aux / NWS SRR NU NWS site established October 1990DEW operations ceased NWS SRR NU NWS site established October 1990 N/A DEW DEW "I" site NU "I" site operations ceased 1963 N/A NWS DEW Rear Comm. MB Operations ceased 1963 N/A NWS DEW Aux / NWS LRR NU NWS site established July 1989DEW operations ceased July 1989 DEW "I" site / NWS SRR NU "I" site operations ceased 1963NWS site established September 1991 SRR site approximately W of DEW site. DEW Aux / NWS SRR NU NWS site established September 1991DEW operations ceased 1992 DEW "I" site NU "I" site operations ceased 1963 N/A NWS DEW Aux NU DEW operations ceased 1992 N/A NWS NWS SRR NU NWS site established July 1992 N/A DEW NWS SRR NU NWS site established August 1992 N/A DEW DEW "I" site NU "I" site operations ceased 1963 N/A NWS DEW Main / NWS LRR/LSS NU NWS site established September 1989 DEW operations ceased September 1989 Main transportation hub DEW Aux / NWS SRR NU NWS site established August 1991 DEW "I" site / NWS SRR NU "I" site operations ceased 1963NWS site established August 1991 DEW Aux / NWS SRR NU NWS site established November 1990DEW operations ceased 1991 DEW site coordinates – DEW "I" site / NWS SRR NU "I" site operations ceased 1963NWS site established October 1991 DEW Aux / NWS LRR NU NWS site established July 1989DEW operations ceased July 1989 N/A DEW / NWS SRR NU NWS site established September 1992 DEW "I" site NU "I" site operations ceased 1963 N/A NWS DEW Aux / NWS SRR NU NWS site established December 1990DEW operations ceased 1991 DEW "I" site NU "I" site operations ceased 1963 N/A NWS DEW Rear Comm. / NWS SRR NU NWS site established September 1991Pinetree operations ceased November 1961 Former Pinetree Line site NWS SRR NU NWS site established August 1992 N/A DEW NWS SRR NL NWS site established July 1992 N/A DEW DEW Rear Comm. / NWS LRR NU NWS site established October 1988 DEW Aux / NWS SRR NU NWS site established December 1990DEW operations ceased 1991 SRR site, approximately SE of Qikiqtarjuaq NWS SRR NU NWS site established July 1992 N/A DEW NWS LRR NL NWS site established November 1988 N/A DEW – former Pinetree Line site. DEW "I" site NU "I" site operations ceased 1963 N/A NWS NWS SRR NL NWS site established August 1992 N/A DEW DEW Main / NWS LRR NU NWS site established August 1989DEW operations ceased August 1989 Main communications hub NWS SRR NL NWS site established September 1992 N/A DEW NWS SRR NL NWS site established October 1992 N/A DEW NWS LRR NL NWS site established November 1988Pinetree operations ceased June 1968 N/A DEW – Former Pinetree Line site DEW Aux GL De-activated 1988 N/A NWS DEW Aux GL De-activated 1 October 1988 N/A NWS DEW Aux GL De-activated 1988 N/A NWS DEW Aux GL De-activated 1991 N/A NWS – 24 September 1991 last American out DEW LRR Rockville Air Station ISDe-activated 1998 N/A NWSDYE-6DEW AuxSondrestrom Air BaseGLDe-activated 1992Control Center

References