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Pinetree Line

{{short description|Series of radar stations}}

{{use Canadian English|date=March 2019}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}

{{more footnotes|date=December 2012}}

{{Infobox military unit

|unit_name=Pinetree Line

|image =Dew line 1960.jpg

|image_size =200px

|caption =

|dates = 1951–1991

|country = Canada

|branch = Royal Canadian Air Force
United States Air Force

|type = Early-warning radar

|role= Continental Air Defense

|size=

|command_structure= North American Aerospace Defense Command

|current_commander=

|garrison=

|ceremonial_chief=

|colonel_of_the_regiment=

|nickname=

|patron=

|motto=

|colors=

|march=

|mascot=

|battles=

|anniversaries=

}}

The Pinetree Line was a series of radar stations located across southern Canada at about the 50th parallel north, along with a number of other stations located on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Run by North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) (after its creation), over half were staffed by United States Air Force personnel with the balance operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force. The line was the first coordinated system for early detection of a Soviet bomber attack on North America. Its radar technology quickly became outdated, and the line was in full operation only for a short time.

History

File:Pinetree Line Radar Parabolic Antenna.jpg, Winnipeg]]

Plans for what would become the Pinetree Line were underway as early as 1946 within the Permanent Joint Board on Defense (PJBD), a Canadian-U.S. organization. However, the costs of running such a system in the post-war era was too high, and instead Canada concentrated on the areas around Ontario and Quebec, while the United States set up stations in the Midwest and along the eastern seaboard.

With the successful test of an atomic bomb in the USSR, plans changed considerably. In 1949 Congress agreed to a $161 million construction program in co-operation with the RCAF, for a continuous line of stations across southern Canada. The USAF's Continental Air Command and the RCAF met in October 1950 to start planning, and in January 1951 the PJBD presented Recommendation 51/1 for the Extension of the Continental Radar Defence System. The USAF later requested an additional set of six (potentially) mobile stations to provide low-level coverage. Later, it was learned the original radar systems performed better than expected, hence a number of the mobile sites were never deployed.

The system was eventually deployed as a series of 33 main stations and 6 smaller "gap fillers". The majority of these ran in a line at about the 53rd parallel in the west (to offer coverage of major Canadian cities) and about the 50th parallel in the east. A second line ran up the eastern seaboard from the southern tip of Nova Scotia to the southern tip of Baffin Island. Of these, 22 of the main stations and all of the gap fillers were paid for by the USAF, leaving 11 to the RCAF. However 16 of the main stations were staffed by RCAF personnel. On 1 January 1955, the system was officially handed over to RCAF command, and over time an additional 10 stations were added. The stations on the east coast used the Pole Vault system for communication.

File:Saint Anthony Air Station aerial view July 1961.jpg

The Pinetree Line had several technical problems that limited its usefulness almost immediately. For one, the system used a simple pulse radar technique, which made it unable to detect targets close to the ground due to radar clutter as well as being trivially easy to jam using the recently-introduced carcinotron tube. Another was that its location near population centres meant it offered only a last minute warning, and as the USSR moved to jet-powered bombers the warning time was reduced. Studies were already underway in 1951 to build a series of Doppler bistatic radar stations somewhat farther north, which would develop into the Mid-Canada Line. By 1957, just over a year after the Mid-Canada Line was operational, a more advanced long-range search radar, mainly in the Canadian north and Alaska were deployed comprising the Distant Early Warning Line.

The Pinetree stations were kept operational during this period, and most underwent modifications as a part of the deployment of the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE). SAGE dramatically reduced the workload at the stations, cutting staff requirements by well over half. By the later 1950s some were being mothballed as newer systems came on line to the north. Nevertheless, many of the Pinetree stations were kept operational into the 1980s, particularly on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

Radar stations

{{geoGroup}}

Initial sort is based on longitude from east to west.

class="wikitable sortable"
Site number

! Name

! Province

! Location

! Unit

! Service

! Activated

! Deactivated

valign="top"

|N-22

|Red Cliff Air Station
St. Johns Air Station

|NL

|{{Hs|51}} {{Coord|47|38|20|N| 052|40|02|W|region:CA-NL_type:landmark|name=Red Cliff N-22}}

|642d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

|USAF

|1953

|1961

valign="top"

|N-22B

|Elliston Ridge Air Station

|NL

|{{Hs|50}} {{Coord|48|37|33|N| 053|03|31|W|region:CA-NL_type:landmark|name=Elliston Ridge N-22B}}

|642d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

|USAF

|1957

|1961

valign="top"

|N-25

|CFB Gander

|NL

|{{Hs|49}} {{Coord|48|56|36|N| 054|34|57|W|region:CA-NL_type:landmark|name=Gander N-25}}

|226 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|RCAF

|1953

|1990

valign="top"

|N-26B

|La Scie Air Station

|NL

|{{Hs|48}} {{Coord|49|58|50|N| 055|31|48|W|region:CA-NL_type:landmark|name=La Scie N-26B}}

|921st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

|USAF

|1957

|1961

valign="top"

|N-26

|Saint Anthony Air Station

|NL

|{{Hs|47}} {{Coord|51|20|57|N| 055|36|39|W|region:CA-NL_type:landmark|name=Saint Anthony N-26}}

|921st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

|USAF

|1953

|1968

valign="top"

|N-27C

|Fox Harbour Air Station

|NL

|{{Hs|46}} {{Coord|52|22|12|N| 055|39|52|W|region:CA-NL_type:landmark|name=Fox Harbour N-27C}}

|922d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

|USAF

|1957

|1961

valign="top"

|N-27B

|Spotted Island Air Station

|NL

|{{Hs|45}} {{Coord|53|31|05|N| 055|44|56|W|region:CA-NL_type:landmark|name=Spotted Island N-27B}}

|922d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

|USAF

|1957

|1961

valign="top"

|N-27

|Cartwright Air Station

|NL

|{{Hs|44}} {{Coord|53|43|28|N| 056|57|51|W|region:CA-NL_type:landmark|name=Cartwright N-27}}

|922d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

|USAF

|1953

|1968

valign="top"

|N-27A

|Cut Throat Island Air Station

|NL

|{{Hs|43}} {{Coord|54|29|47|N| 057|08|00|W|region:CA-NL_type:landmark|name=Cut Throat Island N-27A}}

|922d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

|USAF

|1957

|1961

valign="top"

|N-23

|Stephenville Air Station

|NL

|{{Hs|42}} {{Coord|48|35|21|N| 058|39|51|W|region:CA-NL_type:landmark|name=Stephenville N-23}}

|105th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
640th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

|USAF

|1952

|1971

valign="top"

|N-28A

|Cape Makkovik Air Station

|NL

|{{Hs|41}} {{Coord|55|13|30|N| 059|08|45|W|region:CA-NL_type:landmark|name=Cape Makkovik N-28A}}

|923d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

|USAF

|1957

|1961

valign="top"

|C-34

|CFS Sydney

|NS

|{{Hs|40}} {{Coord|46|10|03|N| 060|09|52|W|region:CA-NS_type:landmark|name=Sydney C-34}}

|221 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|RCAF

|1954

|1991

valign="top"

|N-28

|Hopedale Air Station

|NL

|{{Hs|39}} {{Coord|55|27|59|N| 060|13|47|W|region:CA-NL_type:landmark|name=Hopedale N-28}}

|923d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

|USAF

|1953

|1968

valign="top"

|C-24

|Goose Air Force Base

|NL

|{{Hs|38}} {{Coord|53|19|09|N| 060|25|33|W|region:CA-NL_type:landmark|name=Goose Bay C-24}}

|Goose Air Defense Sector
21st Air Division
26th Air Division
37th Air Division
59th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron
64th Air Division
95th Strategic Wing
4082d Strategic Wing
4732d Air Defense Group
6603d Air Base Group

|USAF

|1953

|1971

valign="top"

|N-24

|Melville Air Station

|NL

|{{Hs|37}} {{Coord|53|17|45|N| 060|32|24|W|region:CA-NL_type:landmark|name=Melville N-24}}

|107th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
641st Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
641 Aircraft Control and Radar Squadron

|USAF
RCAF

|1953

|1988

valign="top"

|N-29

|CFS Saglek

|NL

|{{Hs|36}} {{Coord|58|29|19|N| 062|35|08|W|region:CA-NL_type:landmark|name=Saglek N-29}}

|924th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

|USAF

|1953

|1970

valign="top"

|C-11

|RCAF Beaverbank

|NS

|{{Hs|35}} {{Coord|44|55|49|N| 063|43|33|W|region:CA-NS_type:landmark|name=Beaverbank C-11}}

|22 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|RCAF

|1954

|1964

valign="top"

|N-30

|CFS Resolution Island

|NT{{efn|name=fn1|These stations were originally in the NT but are currently located in Nunavut}}

|{{Hs|34}} {{Coord|61|35|47|N| 064|38|18|W|region:CA-NU_type:landmark|name=Resolution Island N-30}}

|920th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

|USAF

|1951

|1961

valign="top"

|C-5

|CFS St. Margarets

|NB

|{{Hs|33}} {{Coord|46|54|31|N| 065|12|31|W|region:CA-NB_type:landmark|name=St. Margarets C-5}}

|21 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|RCAF

|1953

|1988

valign="top"

|C-102

|CFS Barrington

|NS

|{{Hs|32}} {{Coord|43|27|06|N| 065|28|17|W|region:CA-NS_type:landmark|name=Barrington C-102}}

|672d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
23 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|USAF
RCAF

|1957

|1990

valign="top"

|C-33

|CFS Moisie

|QC

|{{Hs|31}} {{Coord|50|11|39|N| 066|05|16|W|region:CA-QC_type:landmark|name=Moisie C-33}}

|211 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|RCAF

|1953

|1988

valign="top"

|N-31

|Frobisher Bay Air Base

|NT{{efn|name=fn1}}

|{{Hs|30}} {{Coord|63|45|21|N| 068|32|23|W|region:CA-NU_type:landmark|name=Frobisher Bay N-31}}

|926th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

|USAF

|1953

|1961

valign="top"

|C-6

|RCAF St. Sylvestre

|QC

|{{Hs|29}} {{Coord|46|22|04|N| 071|13|51|W|region:CA-QC_type:landmark|name=St. Sylvestre C-6}}

|13 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|RCAF

|1955

|1964

valign="top"

|C-1

|CFS Mont Apica

|QC

|{{Hs|28}} {{Coord|47|58|41|N| 071|25|51|W|region:CA-QC_type:landmark|name=Mont Apice C-1}}

|12 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|RCAF

|1952

|1990

valign="top"

|C-2

|CFS Lac St. Denis

|QC

|{{Hs|27}} {{Coord|45|56|15|N| 074|18|41|W|region:CA-QC_type:landmark|name=Lac St. Denis C-2}}

|11 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|RCAF

|1952

|1986

valign="top"

|C-42

|CFS Chibougamau

|QC

|{{Hs|26}} {{Coord|49|56|53|N| 074|20|03|W|region:CA-QC_type:landmark|name=Chibougamau C-42}}

|10 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|RCAF

|1962

|1988

valign="top"

|C-7

|RCAF Parent

|QC

|{{Hs|25}} {{Coord|47|53|15|N| 074|40|09|W|region:CA-QC_type:landmark|name=Parent C-7}}

|14 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|RCAF

|1954

|1964

valign="top"

|C-8

|CFS Senneterre

|QC

|{{Hs|24}} {{Coord|48|21|41|N| 077|13|21|W|region:CA-QC_type:landmark|name=Senneterre C-8}}

|34 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|RCAF

|1953

|1988

valign="top"

|C-3

|CFS Foymount

|ON

|{{Hs|23}} {{Coord|45|26|01|N| 077|18|08|W|region:CA-ON_type:landmark|name=Foymount C-3}}

|32 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|RCAF

|1952

|1974

valign="top"

|C-4

|CFS Edgar

|ON

|{{Hs|22}} {{Coord|44|31|47|N| 079|39|33|W|region:CA-ON_type:landmark|name=Edgar C-4}}

|31 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|RCAF

|1953

|1964

valign="top"

|C-10

|CFS Ramore

|ON

|{{Hs|21}} {{Coord|48|25|37|N| 080|14|30|W|region:CA-ON_type:landmark|name=Ramore C-10}}

|912th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
35 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|USAF
RCAF

|1953

|1974

valign="top"

|C-44

|CFS Moosonee

|ON

|{{Hs|20}} {{Coord|51|17|10|N| 080|37|23|W|region:CA-ON_type:landmark|name=Moosonee C-44}}

|15 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|RCAF

|1961

|1975

valign="top"

|C-9

|CFS Falconbridge

|ON

|{{Hs|19}} {{Coord|46|37|34|N| 080|50|36|W|region:CA-ON_type:landmark|name=Falconbridge C-9}}

|33 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|RCAF

|1952

|1986

valign="top"

|C-119

|CFS Lowther

|ON

|{{Hs|18}} {{Coord|49|33|21|N| 082|59|31|W|region:CA-ON_type:landmark|name=Lowther C-119}}

|639th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
36 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|USAF
RCAF

|1957

|1987

valign="top"

|C-14

|RCAF Station Pagwa

|ON

|{{Hs|17}} {{Coord|50|01|04|N| 085|15|06|W|region:CA-ON_type:landmark|name=Pagwa C-14}}

|913th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
37 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|USAF
RCAF

|1952

|1966

valign="top"

|C-15

|CFS Armstrong

|ON

|{{Hs|16}} {{Coord|50|18|19|N| 089|00|49|W|region:CA-ON_type:landmark|name=Armstrong C-15}}

|914th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
38 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|USAF
RCAF

|1952

|1974

valign="top"

|C-16

|CFS Sioux Lookout

|ON

|{{Hs|15}} {{Coord|50|04|59|N| 092|00|08|W|region:CA-ON_type:landmark|name=Sioux Lookout C-16}}

|915th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
39 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|USAF
RCAF

|1953

|1987

valign="top"

|C-17

|CFS Beausejour

|MB

|{{Hs|14}} {{Coord|50|08|53|N| 096|13|24|W|region:CA-MB_type:landmark|name=Beausejour C-17}}

|916th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
48 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|USAF
RCAF

|1953

|1988

valign="top"

|C-49

|CFS Gypsumville

|MB

|{{Hs|13}} {{Coord|51|39|51|N| 098|44|31|W|region:CA-MB_type:landmark|name=Gypsumville C-49}}

|47 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|RCAF

|1962

|1987

valign="top"

|C-51

|CFS Yorkton

|SK

|{{Hs|12}} {{Coord|51|17|41|N| 102|36|21|W|region:CA-SK_type:landmark|name=Yorkton C-51}}

|46 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|RCAF

|1963

|1986

valign="top"

|C-52

|CFS Dana

|SK

|{{Hs|11}} {{Coord|52|16|42|N| 105|46|09|W|region:CA-SK_type:landmark|name=Dana C-52}}

|45 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|RCAF

|1964

|1987

valign="top"

| C-53

|CFS Alsask

|SK

|{{Hs|10}} {{Coord|51|23|31|N| 110|00|12|W|region:CA-SK_type:landmark|name=CFS Alsask AS C-21}}

|44 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|RCAF

|1953

|1986

valign="top"

|C-36

|CFB Cold Lake

|AB

|{{Hs|09}} {{Coord|54|26|05|N| 110|10|47|W|region:CA-AB_type:landmark|name=Cold Lake C-36}}

|42 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|RCAF

|1954

|1991

valign="top"

|C-54

|CFS Penhold

|AB

|{{Hs|08}} {{Coord|52|11|16|N| 113|34|41|W|region:CA-AB_type:landmark|name=Penhold C-54}}

|43 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|RCAF

|1964

|1986

valign="top"

|C-21

|RCAF Saskatoon Mountain
CFS Beaverlodge

|AB

|{{Hs|07}} {{Coord|55|13|51|N| 119|18|19|W|region:CA-AB_type:landmark|name=Beaverlodge C-21}}

|919th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
57 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|USAF
RCAF

|1953

|1988

valign="top"

|C-153

|CFS Kamloops

|BC

|{{Hs|06}} {{Coord|50|48|08|N| 120|07|36|W|region:CA-BC_type:landmark|name=Kamloops C-153}}

|825th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
56 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|USAF
RCAF

|1957

|1988

valign="top"

|C-20

|CFS Baldy Hughes

|BC

|{{Hs|05}} {{Coord|53|37|06|N| 122|56|08|W|region:CA-BC_type:landmark|name=Baldy Hughes C-20}}

|918th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
54 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|USAF
RCAF

|1953

|1988

valign="top"

|C-19

|RCAF Station Puntzi Mountain

|BC

|{{Hs|04}} {{Coord|52|09|41|N| 124|12|22|W|region:CA-BC_type:landmark|name=Puntzi Mountain C-19}}

|917th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron
55 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|USAF
RCAF

|1952

|1966

valign="top"

|C-35

|CFB Comox

|BC

|{{Hs|03}} {{Coord|49|42|39|N| 124|53|12|W|region:CA-BC_type:landmark|name=Comox C-35}}

|51 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron

|RCAF

|1954

|1958

valign="top"

|C-36

|RCAF Tofino

|BC

|{{Hs|02}} {{Coord|49|04|55|N| 125|46|51|W|region:CA-BC_type:landmark|name=Tofino C-36}}

|52 Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron

|RCAF

|1955

|1957

valign="top"

|C-18

|CFS Holberg

|BC

|{{Hs|01}} {{Coord|50|38|25|N| 128|07|48|W|region:CA-BC_type:landmark|name=Holberg C-18}}

|501 Aircraft Control and Warning (later Radar) Squadron
53 Radar Squadron

|RCAF

|1954

|1991

{{notelist}}

See also

References

{{Air Force Historical Research Agency}}

{{Reflist}}

  • A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946–1980, by Lloyd H. Cornett and Mildred W. Johnson, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
  • [http://www.radomes.org/museum/cadin.html The Pinetree Line]
  • {{cite web | url = https://www.candemuseum.org/sites/default/files/archives/Pinetreeline/homepage.html | title = The Pinetree Line Home Page | website = Military Communications and Electronics Museum | language = en }}

External links

  • [http://trackingdistance.com 1997 video documentary by Greg Marshall – Personal stories from Canada's role in the Cold War and NORAD]

{{CanadaColdWar}}

{{Canadian Forces Bases}}

{{Royal Canadian Air Force|state=collapsed}}

{{Aerospace Defense Command|state=collapsed}}

Category:Air defence radar networks

Category:Canada–United States relations

Category:Cold War sites in Canada

Category:Military equipment of Canada

Category:Radar stations of the United States Air Force

Category:Royal Canadian Air Force