Barter Island

Starting in March 1953, a runway and Distant Early Warning Line radar station were built on the island by Western Electric Company, augmented by U.S. Navy sealift and U.S. Air Force Douglas C-124 Globemaster II heavy-lift aircraft.

This would be the operational test & evaluation (prototype) installation proving site for the DEW Line facilities that were to later fan out across Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Iceland.

The site was completed in November 1953 to meet requirements for testing in 1954, during which the Air Force conducted evaluation studies.

In September 1954, Western Electric was contracted to complete the rest of the DEW Line.

[2] Barter Island has a tundra climate (Köppen: ETf), with long winters and warm but short summer days.