List of DEW Line Sites
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) | State Province Territory |
Significant dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COB 1 | 52°57′35″N 168°52′03″W / 52.95972°N 168.86750°W | Aleutian DEW LRR | Nikolski (Nikolski Air Station) | AK | DEW operations ceased 30 September 1969 | N/A NWS |
| COB 2 | 53°58′28″N 166°54′18″W / 53.97444°N 166.90500°W | Aleutian DEW LRR | Driftwood Bay (Driftwood Bay Air Force Station Airfield) | AK | DEW operations ceased 30 September 1969 | N/A NWS |
| LIZ-1 | 68°52′12″N 166°09′00″W / 68.87000°N 166.15000°W | DEW "UNK" site | Cape Lisburne (Cape Lisburne Air Force Station) | AK | N/A NWS | |
| COB 3 | 54°35′32″N 164°52′34″W / 54.59222°N 164.87611°W | Aleutian DEW LRR | Cape Sarichef (Cape Sarichef Airport) | AK | DEW operations ceased 30 September 1969 | N/A NWS |
| LIZ-2 | 69°01′27″N 163°51′26″W / 69.02417°N 163.85722°W | DEW Aux / NWS LRR | Point Lay (Point Lay LRRS Airport) | AK | NWS site established 1989/1990 Site deactivated 1994 |
|
| LIZ-A | 69°01′27″N 163°51′25″W / 69.02417°N 163.85694°W | DEW "I" site | Cape Sabine (Cape Sabine DEW Line Station) | AK | "I" site operations ceased 1963 | N/A NWS |
| COB M | 55°15′49″N 162°53′08″W / 55.26361°N 162.88556°W | Aleutian DEW LRR | Cold Bay (Cold Bay Air Force Station) | AK | DEW operations ceased 30 September 1969 | N/A NWS |
| LIZ-B | 70°17′23″N 161°54′40″W / 70.28972°N 161.91111°W | DEW "I" site | Icy Cape (Icy Cape DEW Line Station) | AK | "I" site operations ceased 1963 | N/A NWS |
| COB 4 | 55°58′41″N 160°30′01″W / 55.97806°N 160.50028°W | Aleutian DEW LRR | Port Moller (Port Moller Airport) | AK | DEW operations ceased 30 September 1969 | N/A NWS |
| LIZ-3 | 70°36′37″N 159°52′12″W / 70.61028°N 159.87000°W | DEW Aux / NWS SRR | Wainwright (Wainwright Airport) | AK | NWS site established 1994 DEW operations ceased April 1995 |
Closed 2007 due to soil erosion & budget concerns |
| COB 5 | 56°58′38″N 158°39′09″W / 56.97722°N 158.65250°W | Aleutian DEW LRR | Port Heiden (Port Heiden Airport) | AK | DEW operations ceased 30 September 1969 | N/A NWS - converted to an Aircraft Control and Warning radar station A height-finder radar was added |
| LIZ-C | 70°48′29″N 158°15′32″W / 70.80806°N 158.25889°W | DEW "I" site | Peard Bay (Peard Bay DEW Line Station) | AK | "I" site operations ceased 1963 | N/A NWS |
| POW-MAIN | 71°19′38″N 156°38′10″W / 71.32722°N 156.63611°W | DEW Main / NWS LRR | Point Barrow (Point Barrow Long Range Radar Site) | AK | NWS site established 1989/1990 | |
| POW-A | 71°03′26″N 154°43′39″W / 71.05722°N 154.72750°W | DEW "I" site | Cape Simpson | AK | "I" site operations ceased 1963 | N/A NWS |
| POW-1 | 70°54′37″N 153°14′23″W / 70.91028°N 153.23972°W | DEW Aux / NWS SRR | Lonely (Point Lonely Short Range Radar Site) | AK | DEW operations ceased October 1990 NWS site established 1994| | |
| POW-B | 70°34′36″N 152°15′56″W / 70.57667°N 152.26556°W | DEW "I" site | Kogru | AK | "I" site operations ceased 1963 | N/A NWS |
| POW-2 | 70°29′54″N 149°53′22″W / 70.49833°N 149.88944°W | DEW Aux / NWS LRR | Oliktok Point (Oliktok Long Range Radar Site) | AK | NWS site established 1989/1990 | |
| AGE-X | 61°10′29″N 149°51′26″W / 61.17472°N 149.85722°W | DEW Rear Comm. | Anchorage | AK | Operations ceased 1963 | N/A NWS |
| POW-C | 70°24′10″N 148°40′46″W / 70.40278°N 148.67944°W | DEW "I" site | Point McIntyre | AK | "I" site operations ceased 1963 | N/A NWS |
| POW-3 | 70°10′34″N 146°51′19″W / 70.17611°N 146.85528°W | DEW Aux / NWS SRR | Flaxman Island a.k.a. Bullen Point | AK | DEW operations ceased April 1995 NWS site established 1994 |
Site is physically located at Bullen Point Closed 2007 due to soil erosion and budget concerns |
| POW-D | 69°58′29″N 144°50′09″W / 69.97472°N 144.83583°W | DEW "I" site | Brownlow Point | AK | "I" site operations ceased 1963 | N/A NWS Site located 1.3 mi (2.1 km) SE Collinson Point |
| BAR-MAIN | 70°07′49″N 143°38′21″W / 70.13028°N 143.63917°W | DEW Main / NWS LRR | Barter Island (Barter Island LRRS Airport) | AK | NWS site established 15 November 1990 | Local community name: Kaktovik |
| BAR-A | 69°53′11″N 142°18′43″W / 69.88639°N 142.31194°W | DEW "I" site | Demarcation Bay a.k.a. Nuvagapak Point | AK | "I" site operations ceased 1963 | N/A NWS Site physically located at Nuvagapak Point |
| BAR-1 | 69°35′41″N 140°10′41″W / 69.59472°N 140.17806°W | DEW Aux / NWS SRR | Komakuk Beach | YT | DEW operations ceased 4 August 1993 NWS site established October 1990 |
|
| BAR-B | 69°19′49″N 138°44′13″W / 69.33028°N 138.73694°W | DEW "I" site / NWS SRR | Stokes Point | YT | "I" site operations ceased 1963 NWS site established July 1991 |
|
| BAR-2 | 68°55′22″N 137°15′38″W / 68.92278°N 137.26056°W | DEW Aux / NWS LRR | Shingle Point | YT | DEW operations ceased June 1989 NWS site established June 1989 |
|
| BAR-C | 69°00′21″N 134°40′05″W / 69.00583°N 134.66806°W | DEW "I" site | Tununuk Camp | NT | "I" site operations ceased 1963 | N/A NWS |
| BAR-BA 3 | 68°53′39″N 133°56′31″W / 68.89417°N 133.94194°W | NWS SRR | Storm Hills | NT | NWS site established November 1990 | N/A DEW |
| BAR-3 | 69°26′35″N 132°59′55″W / 69.44306°N 132.99861°W | DEW Aux / NWS SRR | Tuktoyaktuk (Tuktoyaktuk/James Gruben Airport) | NT | DEW operations ceased 13 September 1993 NWS site established September 1990 |
|
| BAR-D | 69°55′59″N 131°25′54″W / 69.93306°N 131.43167°W | DEW "I" site | Atkinson Point | NT | "I" site operations ceased 1963 | N/A NWS |
| BAR-DA 1 | 69°36′15″N 130°53′37″W / 69.60417°N 130.89361°W | NWS SRR | Liverpool Bay | NT | NWS site established November 1990 | N/A DEW |
| BAR-4 | 69°55′27″N 128°58′24″W / 69.92417°N 128.97333°W | DEW Aux / NWS SRR | Nicholson Peninsula | NT | DEW operations ceased 9 September 1993 NWS site established October 1990 |
|
| BAR-E | 70°00′59″N 126°56′35″W / 70.01639°N 126.94306°W | DEW "I" site / NWS SRR | Horton River a.k.a. Malloch Hills | NT | "I" site operations ceased 1963 NWS site established June 1991 |
|
| PIN-MAIN | 70°10′17″N 124°43′30″W / 70.17139°N 124.72500°W | DEW Main / NWS LRR | Cape Parry | NT | DEW operations ceased August 1989 NWS site established August 1989 |
|
| PIN-A | 69°48′55″N 122°43′02″W / 69.81528°N 122.71722°W | DEW "I" site | Pierce Point | NT | "I" site operations ceased 1963 | N/A NWS |
| NEL-X | 58°48′21″N 122°41′38″W / 58.80583°N 122.69389°W | DEW Rear Comm. | Fort Nelson | BC | Operations ceased 1963 | N/A NWS |
| PIN-1BD | 69°40′22″N 121°40′19″W / 69.67278°N 121.67194°W | NWS SRR | Keats Point | NT | NWS site established July 1991 | N/A DEW |
| PIN-1 | 69°35′00″N 120°44′46″W / 69.58333°N 120.74611°W | DEW Aux | Clinton Point | NT | DEW operations ceased 3 September 1993 | N/A NWS |
| PIN-1BG | 69°16′00″N 119°13′00″W / 69.26667°N 119.21667°W | NWS SRR | Croker River | NU | NWS site established August 1991 | N/A DEW |
| PIN-B | 69°12′56″N 118°38′11″W / 69.21556°N 118.63639°W | DEW "I" site | Clifton Point | NU | "I" site operations ceased 1963 | N/A NWS |
| PIN-2A | 68°50′10″N 116°58′05″W / 68.83611°N 116.96806°W | NWS SRR | Harding River | NU | NWS site established September 1991 | N/A DEW |
| PIN-2 | 68°56′08″N 116°56′10″W / 68.93556°N 116.93611°W | DEW Aux | Cape Young | NU | DEW operations ceased 31 August 1993 | N/A NWS |
| PIN-CB | 68°45′19″N 114°56′21″W / 68.75528°N 114.93917°W | NWS SRR | Bernard Harbour | NU | NWS site established September 1991 | N/A DEW Site is 3.3 mi (5.3 km) SW of DEW site. |
| PIN-C | 68°46′55″N 114°50′01″W / 68.78194°N 114.83361°W | DEW "I" site | Bernard Harbour | NU | "I" site operations ceased 1963 | N/A NWS |
| PIN-3 | 68°28′45″N 113°13′32″W / 68.47917°N 113.22556°W | DEW Aux / NWS LRR | Lady Franklin Point | NU | NWS site established June 1989 DEW operations ceased June 1989 |
Site burnt down 10 January 2000 |
| PIN-D | 68°32′10″N 111°11′55″W / 68.53611°N 111.19861°W | DEW "I" site | Ross Point | NU | "I" site operations ceased 1963 | N/A NWS |
| WAT-X | 56°27′00″N 111°02′00″W / 56.45000°N 111.03333°W | DEW Rear Comm. | Waterways a.k.a. Stoney Mountain | AB | Operations ceased 1964 | N/A NWS |
| PIN-DA | 68°29′09″N 110°51′50″W / 68.48583°N 110.86389°W | NWS SRR | Edinburgh Island | NU | NWS site established October 1991 | N/A DEW |
| PIN-4 | 68°45′35″N 109°05′16″W / 68.75972°N 109.08778°W | DEW Aux | Byron Bay | NU | DEW operations ceased 21 August 1993 | N/A NWS |
| PIN-EB | 69°02′11″N 107°49′18″W / 69.03639°N 107.82167°W | NWS SRR | Cape Peel West | NU | NWS operations ceased October 1991 | N/A DEW |
| PIN-E | 69°02′41″N 107°19′33″W / 69.04472°N 107.32583°W | DEW "I" site | Cape Peel | NU | "I" site operations ceased 1963 | N/A NWS |
| CAM-MAIN | 69°06′58″N 105°07′08″W / 69.11611°N 105.11889°W | DEW Main / NWS LRR/LSS | Cambridge Bay (Cambridge Bay Airport) | NU | NWS site established September 1989 DEW operations ceased September 1989 |
Main transportation hub |
| CAM-A3A | 68°57′47″N 103°45′34″W / 68.96306°N 103.75944°W | NWS SRR | Sturt Point | NU | NWS site established October 1991 | N/A DEW |
| CAM-A | 68°47′45″N 103°20′40″W / 68.79583°N 103.34444°W | DEW "I" site | Sturt Point | NU | "I" site operations ceased 1963 | N/A NWS |
| CAM-1A | 68°44′31″N 101°51′17″W / 68.74194°N 101.85472°W | NWS SRR | Jenny Lind Island | NU | NWS site established October 1990 | N/A DEW |
| CAM-1 | 68°39′25″N 101°44′19″W / 68.65694°N 101.73861°W | DEW Aux | Jenny Lind Island | NU | DEW operations ceased 1992 | N/A NWS |
| CAM-B | 68°19′02″N 100°04′09″W / 68.31722°N 100.06917°W | DEW "I" site / NWS SRR | Hat Island | NU | "I" site operations ceased 1963 NWS site established September 1991 |
|
| CAM-2 | 68°40′48″N 097°48′38″W / 68.68000°N 97.81056°W | DEW Aux / NWS SRR | Gladman Point | NU | NWS site established October 1990 DEW operations ceased |
|
| CAM-CB | 68°38′39″N 095°52′10″W / 68.64417°N 95.86944°W | NWS SRR | Gjoa Haven (Gjoa Haven Airport) | NU | NWS site established October 1990 | N/A DEW |
| CAM-C | 68°52′09″N 095°09′27″W / 68.86917°N 95.15750°W | DEW "I" site | Matheson Point | NU | "I" site operations ceased 1963 | N/A NWS |
| BIR-X | 56°30′20″N 094°12′49″W / 56.50556°N 94.21361°W | DEW Rear Comm. | Bird | MB | Operations ceased 1963 | N/A NWS |
| CAM-3 | 68°47′34″N 093°26′25″W / 68.79278°N 93.44028°W | DEW Aux / NWS LRR | Shepherd Bay | NU | NWS site established July 1989 DEW operations ceased July 1989 |
|
| CAM-D | 68°35′41″N 091°57′24″W / 68.59472°N 91.95667°W | DEW "I" site / NWS SRR | Simpson Lake a.k.a. Site 25 | NU | "I" site operations ceased 1963 NWS site established September 1991 |
SRR site approximately 3⁄4 mi (1.2 km) W of DEW site. |
| CAM-4 | 68°26′13″N 089°43′34″W / 68.43694°N 89.72611°W | DEW Aux / NWS SRR | Pelly Bay (Kugaaruk Airport) | NU | NWS site established September 1991 DEW operations ceased 1992 |
|
| CAM-E | 68°15′22″N 088°10′25″W / 68.25611°N 88.17361°W | DEW "I" site | Keith Bay | NU | "I" site operations ceased 1963 | N/A NWS |
| CAM-5 | 68°18′03″N 085°40′29″W / 68.30083°N 85.67472°W | DEW Aux | Mackar Inlet | NU | DEW operations ceased 1992 | N/A NWS |
| CAM-5A | 69°39′13″N 085°31′04″W / 69.65361°N 85.51778°W | NWS SRR | Cape McLoughlin | NU | NWS site established July 1992 | N/A DEW |
| CAM-FA | 69°06′38″N 083°32′23″W / 69.11056°N 83.53972°W | NWS SRR | Lailor River | NU | NWS site established August 1992 | N/A DEW |
| CAM-F | 68°34′04″N 083°28′53″W / 68.56778°N 83.48139°W | DEW "I" site | Scarpa Lake a.k.a. Site 29 | NU | "I" site operations ceased 1963 | N/A NWS |
| FOX-MAIN | 68°45′39″N 081°13′35″W / 68.76083°N 81.22639°W | DEW Main / NWS LRR/LSS | Hall Beach a.k.a. Site 30 (Hall Beach Airport) | NU | NWS site established September 1989 DEW operations ceased September 1989 | Main transportation hub |
| FOX-1 | 69°04′01″N 079°03′55″W / 69.06694°N 79.06528°W | DEW Aux / NWS SRR | Rowley Island | NU | NWS site established August 1991 | |
| FOX-A | 69°13′26″N 077°13′48″W / 69.22389°N 77.23000°W | DEW "I" site / NWS SRR | Bray Island a.k.a. Site 32 | NU | "I" site operations ceased 1963 NWS site established August 1991 |
|
| FOX-2 | 68°53′56″N 075°08′20″W / 68.89889°N 75.13889°W | DEW Aux / NWS SRR | Longstaff Bluff a.k.a. Site 33 | NU | NWS site established November 1990 DEW operations ceased 1991 |
DEW site coordinates - 68°53′59.60″N 75°08′43.52″W / 68.8998889°N 75.1454222°W |
| FOX-B | 68°37′10″N 073°12′45″W / 68.61944°N 73.21250°W | DEW "I" site / NWS SRR | Nudluardjk Lake a.k.a. West Baffin | NU | "I" site operations ceased 1963 NWS site established October 1991 |
|
| FOX-3 | 68°39′02″N 071°13′58″W / 68.65056°N 71.23278°W | DEW Aux / NWS LRR | Dewar Lakes | NU | NWS site established July 1989 DEW operations ceased July 1989 |
|
| FOX-CA | 68°38′51″N 069°07′47″W / 68.64750°N 69.12972°W | N/A DEW / NWS SRR | Kangok Fjord | NU | NWS site established September 1992 | |
| FOX-C | 68°43′53″N 068°35′15″W / 68.73139°N 68.58750°W | DEW "I" site | Ekalugad | NU | "I" site operations ceased 1963 | N/A NWS |
| FOX-4 | 68°28′21″N 066°48′01″W / 68.47250°N 66.80028°W | DEW Aux / NWS SRR | Cape Hooper a.k.a. Site 37 | NU | NWS site established December1990 DEW operations ceased 1991 |
|
| FOX-D | 67°57′58″N 064°54′28″W / 67.96611°N 64.90778°W | DEW "I" site | Kivitoo | NU | "I" site operations ceased 1963 | N/A NWS |
| BAF-5 (RES-X) | 61°35′47″N 064°38′20″W / 61.59639°N 64.63889°W | DEW Rear Comm. / NWS SRR | Resolution Island (CFS Resolution Island) | NU | NWS site established September 1991 Pinetree operations ceased November 1961 |
Former Pinetree Line site |
| BAF-4A | 62°30′22″N 064°31′06″W / 62.50611°N 64.51833°W | NWS SRR | Loks Land | NU | NWS site established August 1992 | N/A DEW |
| LAB-1 | 59°59′15″N 064°09′55″W / 59.98750°N 64.16528°W | NWS SRR | Cape Kakiviak | NL | NWS site established July 1992 | N/A DEW |
| BAF-3 (RES-X-1) | 63°20′24″N 064°09′29″W / 63.34000°N 64.15806°W | DEW Rear Comm. / NWS LRR | Brevoort Island | NU | NWS site established October 1988 | |
| FOX-5 | 67°32′05″N 063°47′10″W / 67.53472°N 63.78611°W | DEW Aux / NWS SRR | Broughton Island a.k.a. Qikiqtarjuaq a.k.a. Site 39 (Qikiqtarjuaq Airport) | NU | NWS site established December1990 DEW operations ceased 1991 |
SRR site, approximately 7 NM (13 km; 8.1 mi) SE of Qikiqtarjuaq |
| BAF-2 | 64°57′17″N 063°33′38″W / 64.95472°N 63.56056°W | NWS SRR | Cape Mercy | NU | NWS site established July 1992 | N/A DEW |
| LAB-2 | 58°29′19″N 062°35′08″W / 58.48861°N 62.58556°W | NWS LRR | Saglek (CFS Saglek) | NL | NWS site established November 1988 | N/A DEW - former Pinetree Line site. |
| FOX-E | 67°05′00″N 062°12′59″W / 67.08333°N 62.21639°W | DEW "I" site | Durban Island | NU | "I" site operations ceased 1963 | N/A NWS |
| LAB-3 | 57°08′07″N 061°28′32″W / 57.13528°N 61.47556°W | NWS SRR | Cape Kiglapait | NL | NWS site established August 1992 | N/A DEW |
| DYE-MAIN | 66°39′52″N 061°21′21″W / 66.66444°N 61.35583°W | DEW Main / NWS LRR | Cape Dyer a.k.a. Site 41 | NU | NWS site established August 1989 DEW operations ceased August 1989 |
Main communications hub |
| LAB-4 | 55°44′30″N 060°25′42″W / 55.74167°N 60.42833°W | NWS SRR | Big Bay | NL | NWS site established September 1992 | N/A DEW |
| LAB-5 | 54°42′53″N 058°21′30″W / 54.71472°N 58.35833°W | NWS SRR | Tukialik | NL | NWS site established October 1992 | N/A DEW |
| LAB-6 | 53°33′04″N 056°49′48″W / 53.55111°N 56.83000°W | NWS LRR | Cartwright (Cartwright Air Station) | NL | NWS site established November 1988 Pinetree operations ceased June 1968 |
N/A DEW - Former Pinetree Line site |
| DYE-1 | 66°38′03″N 052°52′12″W / 66.63417°N 52.87000°W | DEW Aux | Qaqqatoqaq near Sisimiut | GL | De-activated 1988 | N/A NWS |
| DYE-2 | 66°29′30″N 046°18′19″W / 66.49167°N 46.30528°Wb | DEW Aux | Ice Cap 1 | GL | De-activated 1 October 1988 | N/A NWS |
| DYE-3 | 65°10′57″N 043°49′10″W / 65.18250°N 43.81944°Wb | DEW Aux | Ice Cap 2 | GL | De-activated 1988 | N/A NWS |
| DYE-4 | 65°31′39″N 037°09′34″W / 65.52750°N 37.15944°W | DEW Aux | Kulusuk Island | GL | De-activated 1991 | N/A NWS - 24 September 1991 last American out |
| DYE-5 | 64°02′07″N 022°39′08″W / 64.03528°N 22.65222°W | DEW LRR | Rockville, a.k.a. H1 | IS | N/A NWS | |