The North Warning System (NWS, ) is a joint United States and Canadian early-warning radar system for the atmospheric air defense of North America. It provides surveillance of airspace from potential incursions or attacks from across North America's polar region. It replaced the Distant Early Warning Line system in the late 1980s.
Overview
thumb|right|360px|The North Warning System as part of NORAD radar array as envisioned by Canada and the US in 1987.
The NWS consists of both long range AN/FPS-117 and short range AN/FPS-124 surveillance radars, operated and maintained by North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). There are 13 long range sites and 36 short range sites.
In Canada, the station sites are owned or leased by the Government of Canada, which also owns most of the infrastructure. The radars and tactical radios are owned by the United States Air Force. The system forms a long and wide "tripwire" stretching from Alaska to southern Labrador. Minimally-attended NWS Long Range Radar AN/FPS-117 radar sites shaded in blue.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! scope="col" width="75" | Site ID
! scope="col" width="150" | Geographic Place Name
! scope="col" width="75" | Location
! scope="col" width="75" | Radar
! scope="col" width="200" | Coordinates
! scope="col" width="50" | Activated
! scope="col" width="50" | Deactivated
! scope="col" width="350" | Notes
|-
|
| Point Lay
| AK
| FPS-124
|
| 1955
| 1994
| Established as DEW Line Auxiliary site, 1955. Also was part of Alaska Radar System, site A-15. DEW operations ended 1989; unattended NWS Short Range Radar installed 1990 to cover any Long Range Radar surveillance gaps; Site deactivated 1994 and remediation work was completed by 2005. Gravel runway and building pads remain. See also: Point Lay LRRS Airport
|-
|
| Wainwright
| AK
| FPS-124
|
| 1955
| 2007
| Established as DEW Line Auxiliary site, 1955. Also was part of Alaska Radar System, site A-16. DEW operations ended 1995; minimally-attended NWS Short Range Radar installed 1994; Former DEW station remediation work was completed by 2005. Site deactivated 2007 due to soil erosion & budget concerns. See also: Wainwright Airport
|- style="background: #F1F5FC; color: black"
|
| Point Barrow
| AK
| FPS-117
|
| 1957
| Active
| Established as DEW Line Main site, 1957. Also is part of Alaska Radar System, site A-17, Maintained by USAF 611th Air Support Group. DEW operations ended 1998; minimally-attended NWS Long Range Radar installed 1999 Station buildings remain in use and in good repair.
|-
|
| Point Lonely
| AK
| FPS-124
|
| 1957
| 2007
| Established as DEW Line Auxiliary site, 1957. Also was part of Alaska Radar System, site A-18. DEW operations ended 1990; unattended NWS Short Range Radar installed 1994 to cover any Long Range Radar surveillance gaps. Site deactivated 2007 due to soil erosion & budget concerns. Station buildings remain in good repair.
|- style="background: #F1F5FC; color: black"
|
| Oliktok
| AK
| FPS-117
|
| 1957
| Active
| Established as DEW Line Auxiliary site, 1957. Also is part of Alaska Radar System, site A-19, Maintained by USAF 611th Air Support Group. DEW operations ended 1989; minimally-attended NWS Long Range Radar installed 1990. Station buildings remain in use and in good repair.
|-
|
| Flaxman Island
| AK
| FPS-124
|
| 1957
| 2007
| Established as DEW Line Auxiliary site, 1957. Also was part of Alaska Radar System as Bullen Point Short Range Radar Site site A-20. DEW operations ended 1995; unattended NWS Short Range Radar installed 1994 to cover any Long Range Radar surveillance gaps. Site deactivated 2007 due to soil erosion & budget concerns. Station buildings remain in good repair.
|- style="background: #F1F5FC; color: black"
|
| Barter Island
| AK
| FPS-117
|
| 1957
| Active
| Established as DEW Line Main site, 1957. Also is part of Alaska Radar System, site A-21, Maintained by USAF 611th Air Support Group. DEW operations ended 1989; minimally-attended NWS Long Range Radar installed 1990. Station buildings remain in use and in good repair. See also: Barter Island LRRS Airport
|-
|
| Komakuk Beach
| YT
| FPS-124
|
| 1957
| Active
| Established as DEW Line Auxiliary site, 1957, operations ended 1989; unattended NWS Short Range Radar installed 1990 to cover any Long Range Radar surveillance gaps. Now located in Yukon's Ivvavik National Park, station site remediation work was completed by 2005. Komakuk Beach SRRS Airport is listed in the Canada Flight Supplement as abandoned.
|-
|
| Stokes Point
| YT
| FPS-124
|
| 1957
| Active
| Established as DEW Intermediate site, closed and site abandoned in 1963. Reopened as unattended NWS Short Range Radar site in 1991 to cover any Long Range Radar surveillance gaps. Now located in Yukon's Ivvavik National Park, no station site remediation is planned. Stokes Point SRRS Airport is listed in the Canada Flight Supplement as abandoned. Only the warehouse, hangar, garage and satellite terminals remain. As of November 2020, the site was indefinitely out of commission and without power.