SCHOOL THESIS

Thus, as concerns about Soviet nuclear capabilities became dire, in 1954 the
Department of Defense formed a new, multi-service command called “Continental Air
Defense Command” (CONAD) involving Army, Naval, and Air Force forces. As their
service contribution, the Air Force provided interceptor fighter aircraft and agreed to
operate an extensive array of arctic distant early warning radar sites which would act as a
“trip wire” against any surprise Soviet bomber attack launched over the North Pole.
In addition, new defense agreements between Canada and the United Stated were
negotiated, centering on building three series of long-range ground radar warning sites
across Canada—the southern “Pinetree Line,” the “Mid-Canada Line,” and the famous
northern “Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line.” (See Figure 1.)
Figure 1. North American Distant Early Warning (DEW) Site. 4
4 Tom Page, “Alaskan DEW Line Sites,” Radomes, Inc., accessed 20 Apr 2015,
http://www.radomes.org/museum/alaskadew.php.
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