Oliktok Long Range Radar Site

Oliktok Long Range Radar Site
 
IATA: noneICAO: POLI
Summary
Airport type Military
Coordinates 70°29′54″N 149°53′22″W / 70.49833°N 149.88944°W
Map
POLI

Location of Oliktok Long Range Radar Site

Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
04/24 4,020 1,219 Gravel

Oliktok Long Range Radar Site (ICAO: POLI, TC LID: XWS) (LRR Site: A-19) is a United States Air Force radar site and military airstrip located 164 miles (264 km) east-southeast of Point Barrow, Alaska. It is not open for public use.

History

The site built in 1957 to support the Distant Early Warning Line radar station at Point Barrow (POW-MAIN), which logistically supported it. It was operated by civilian contract workers. DEW Line operations ceased in April 1995, and the personnel were relieved from their duties.

The radar station was upgraded with new radars and in 1990 was re-designated part of the North Warning System (NWS) as a Long Range Radar Site, A-19, equipped with a minimally attended AN/FPS-117 long-range surveillance radar. In 1998 Pacific Air Forces initiated "Operation Clean Sweep", in which abandoned Cold War stations in Alaska were remediated and the land restored to its previous state. The site remediation of the radar and support station was carried out by the 611th Civil Engineering Squadron at Elmendorf AFB, and remediation work was completed by 2005.

The site remains active and is accessed by civilian contractors by the adjacent airstrip for periodic maintenance.

See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.