Ten years of DEWLine

Constructed and maintained under cruel Arctic conditions, the DEWLine was established principally to act as an early warning system against the approach of manned bombers; but with the development of ballistic missiles, with the construction of BMEWS further north, and with the increasing military and other communications traffic across it, the emphasis on DEWLine functions has been shifting. This article reviews some of the highlights of DEWLine's evolution and its development, after a three-year upgrading program, into a study, high-capacity communications network.