Bray Island DEW Line Station

Bray Island, CA 🇨🇦 Closed Airport

ICAO

CA-0058

IATA

-

Elevation

- ft

Region

CA-NU

Local Time

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Airport Information

GPS Code: Not available

Local Code: Not available

Location: 69.223889° N, -77.229999° E

Continent: NA

Type: Closed Airport

Terminal Information Not Available
Terminal arrivals and departures are only available for airports with scheduled commercial service and IATA codes.

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Airport Information

Airport Closure Information

Last updated: Jul 24, 2025
Closure Date

Circa 1989-1993

Reason for Closure

The station and its airstrip were closed as part of the strategic and technological transition from the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line to the North Warning System (NWS) at the end of the Cold War. The original manpower-intensive DEW Line technology became obsolete. Bray Island was not selected for an upgrade to a modern Long-Range Radar (LRR) site; instead, a new, smaller, automated Short-Range Radar (SRR) site (BAF-4A) was constructed nearby, making the large original base and its airstrip redundant.

Current Status

The site is closed, abandoned, and unmaintained. Following its decommissioning, the original FOX-A station underwent extensive environmental cleanup and remediation under the Canadian government's DEW Line Cleanup Project to remove hazardous materials (like PCBs, fuel contaminants, and asbestos) and demolish abandoned structures. The site has been returned to a near-natural state. The airstrip is no longer operational and is likely in a state of disrepair. The nearby North Warning System site (BAF-4A) that replaced it is an unmanned, automated facility requiring only periodic maintenance, typically accessed by helicopter.

Historical Significance

Bray Island DEW Line Station, designated 'FOX-A', was a Main Station in the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line. Constructed in the 1950s, it was a critical component of North American Cold War air defense, designed to provide early warning of a potential Soviet bomber attack over the Arctic. As a Main Station, it was larger and better-equipped than auxiliary sites. The 5,000-foot gravel airstrip was its lifeline, essential for construction and for the continuous resupply of fuel, food, and equipment, as well as for personnel rotation. It regularly handled large military transport aircraft like the C-130 Hercules, supporting the 24/7 operations of the radar and communications facility.

Reopening Prospects

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the Bray Island airstrip. The military need for the facility was rendered obsolete by the automated North Warning System. Its extreme remote location, the high cost of maintaining infrastructure in the Arctic, and the lack of any local population or economic driver (such as mining or tourism) make its reactivation economically and logistically unfeasible.

Nearby Airports

Rowley Island DEW Line Station
CA-0319
Rowley Island, CA
Closed Airport
~76 km away
Longstaff Bluff DEW Line Station
CA-0211
Longstaff Bluff, CA
Closed Airport
~84 km away
Longstaff Bluff Water Aerodrome
CA-0622
Longstaff Bluff, CA
Closed Airport
~86 km away
Distances are approximate and calculated as straight-line distances.

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