North Warning System emblem

The North Warning System (NWS) is a series of radar stations across Arctic North America. The Arctic is the Region around the Earth 's North Pole, opposite the Antarctic region around the South Pole. It provides surveillance of airspace from potential incursions or attacks from across North America's polar region. The NWS consists of 13 long-range radars (11 in Canada of which 8 were DEW Line sites) and 39 short-range radars (36 in Canada). Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range altitude direction or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as Aircraft, ships Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The system forms a 4,800-kilometer-long and 320-kilometer-wide "tripwire" stretching from Alaska, via Canada, to Greenland. A tripwire is a passive Triggering mechanism usually/originally employed for military purposes although its principle has been used since prehistory for methods of trapping

NWS was established in 1985 when selected DEW Line stations were upgraded and merged with newly built stations into a more advanced early warning system. Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Automation was increased over the previous DEW Line system and a number of additional DEW Line stations were closed. In 1990, with the end of the Cold War and collapse of the Soviet Union, the U.S. Air Force withdrew remaining personnel from Canadian NWS stations and turned full operation over to the Canadian Forces. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the The Soviet Union 's collapse into independent nations began early in 1985 The Canadian Forces (CF ( French: Forces canadiennes) are the unified Armed forces of Canada, governed by the National Defence

The system is controlled by the northern segment of NORAD from CFB North Bay. Canadian Forces Base North Bay, also CFB North Bay, is a Canadian Forces Base located in North Bay Ontario.

Making up the system are 39 AN/FPS-124 short-range minimally-attended radars and 15 long-range AN/FPS-117 radars.

See also

• List of Canadian Forces Bases
• Operation Hurricane (Canada)

External links

• NORAD fact sheet Public information. A Canadian Forces Base or CFB ( French Base des forces canadiennes or BFC) refers to a military installation of the Canadian Forces Operation Hurricane is an annual month-long Sovereignty exercise conducted by Canadian Forces personnel in the Canadian Arctic.
• PAIL Corp. Public information from PAIL Corp.
• Technical Radar Information NWS Radar information from FAS.