Pinetree Progress Reports

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Buildings other than operations, towers, transmitter and receiver buildings on all sites except sites 6 (Ste. Marie), 11 (Halifax), 18 (Holberg), 25 (Gander), 26 (St. Anthony), 27 (Cartwright), 28 (Hopedale), 29 (Saglek), 30 (Resolution Island) and 31 (Frobisher Bay) have been either accepted or completed or require only a small amount of work to finish. Effective with this report, on such nearly-completed sites, detail construction progress will be shown only for operations, tower, transmitter and receiver buildings.

Of the eight interior of Canada USAF-manned sites 10 (Ramore), 14 (Pagwa), 15 (Armstrong), 16 (Sioux Lookout), 17 (Beausejour), 19 (Puntzi Mountain), 20 (Baldy Hughes) and 21 (Saskatoon Mountain), the general construction contracts with the contractors notes on Page 14 of Report No. 8 dated 15 Mar 53, have been terminated. Items of work remaining to be completed are being done under fixed-price contracts negotiated by Central Mortgage and Housing Corp. as an agent of Defence Construction Ltd. The above-mentioned page should be amended accordingly.

On NEAC Sites 22 through N-31, excluding Sites 23 (Stephenville), 24 (Goose Bay) and 30 (Resolution Island), the firm of JA Jones Construction Co. (West 4^th Street, Charlotte, North Carolina) has been made co-venturer for construction and will assume responsibility for active direction of the contracts. This information should be noted on page 14, of Report No. 8 dated 15 Mar 53.

With the occupation of Baldy Hughes (Site 20), on 31 Mar 53, by USAF personnel, all eight (8) interior of Canada USAF-manned stations are occupied by troops. Five RCAF stations are occupied by RCAF personnel. USAF troops are also occupying Sites 22-3 and 22-4 (St. John’s GCI and ADCC)

Interior of Canada sites at Ramore, Pagwa, Armstrong, Sioux Lookout, Beausejour, Puntzi Mountain and Saskatoon Mountain are now being operated on a temporary basis by USAF using TPS-1D radar sets. Communication with respective headquarters is being maintained on all these sites by radio equipment on loan from RCAF. Beausejour and Ramore are also linked by teletype with their respective air division headquarters. One teletype circuit also links Ramore and Falconbridge. Baldy Hughes site will be in temporary operation with radio communications as of 30 Apr 53.

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(i) - Tie Lines: -No report on land-line facilities is available this month.

(ii) - Communications facilities at RCAF sites

a - Microwave - The following changes are noted in the progress of the microwave system in RCAF stations:

Phase 6 - Senneterre - St. Hubert via Falconbridge - Installation estimated to begin Jul 53.

Phase 7 - Parent - St. Hubert via Falconbridge - Installation estimated to begin 1 May 53. Estimated complete by Oct 53.

Phase 8 - Parent - St. Hubert via Mont Apica - Installation estimated to begin 1 May 53. Estimated complete by Oct 53.

b - VHF air-ground communication and HF back-up communications

Site 1 - Mont Apica - VHF and HF completed.

Site 2 - Lac St. Denis - VHF and HF completed.

Site 3 - Foymount - Estimated complete 1 May 53.

Site 4 - Edgar - Estimated complete 15 Jun 53.

Site 5 - Chatham - Engineering 85% completed.

Site 7 - Parent - Estimated complete 15 Jul 53.

Site 8 - Senneterre - Estimated complete 15 Jul 53.

Site 9 - Falconbridge - Estimated complete 15 May 53.

A system of checking on the shipment of each box of equipment from factory or depot and its receipt at the site has been started by Pinetree Office.

Selsyn motors for the AN/CPS-6B are in short supply. Expediting action is being taken in an attempt to relieve this critical shortage.

As will be noted from the following pages the equipment to be supplied by USAF has been allocated to Pinetree and available dates given.

Some delays in the shipping of already-manufactured equipment have occurred because in some cases manufacturers have not requested government bills of lading early enough. The time elapsed between a request from a supplier for bills of lading and his receipt of them is approximately three weeks.

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RCAF Sites: - the following progress is noted since last report:

Site 3 - Foymount - AN/FPS-3 acceptance tests delayed due to fault in transmitter.

Site 4 - Edgar - AN/FPS-3 acceptance test flights completed. Results under study. Two ISG-98 radars estimated complete 28 Apr 53.

Site 5 - Chatham - AN/FPS-3 not started. Two ISG-98 radars to be commenced 25 May 53 and estimated complete 30 Sep 53. Telephone plant to begin late Apr 53.

Site 7 - Parent - AN/FPS-3 acceptance tests to start 15 Apr 53. Two ISG-98 radars estimated complete 7 May 53.

Site 8 - Senneterre - Two ISG-98 estimated complete 31 May 53.

USAF Sites:

Installation crews are scheduled to start installation of technical facilities at Ramore 20 Apr 53, Puntzi Mountain 15 Apr 53 and Beausejour 30 Apr 53. Preliminary studies by the Marconi Company indicate that full installation capability will be available for the isolated NEAC sites (N-26 thru 31) during this construction season.

(i) - Radio - As noted in last month’s report, engineering plans covering the installation of HF point-to-point and UHF VHF air-ground facilities in the 18 USAF-financed, USAF-manned Pinetree Sites, including Gander, have been completed and distributed to the installation contractors and are in the process of being distributed to affected military agencies. The Canadian Marconi Company is presently engaged in the installation engineering of the LF antenna systems for the NEAC sites. Delays in procurement action relative to the LF antennas make it necessary that all possible expediting action be utilized if these facilities are to become operational this year. However, USAF decision to postpone construction of the separate LF transmitter site at N-24 (Goose Bay) may make the LF communication system non-operational since this site serves as the communications hub for the entire system.

(ii) - Radar - Engineering plans and specifications for the primary radar facilities for the 18 USAF-financed, USAF-manned Pinetree sites, including Gander, have been completed and are in the process of distribution. Engineering plans and specifications covering the AN/FPS-502 back-up height finder facility are completed and are being distributed. Installation engineering action on the AN/FPS-502 is being held in abeyance pending further information as to the configuration of the equipment. Engineering plans and specifications for the associated identification equipments are completed and are in the process of distribution.

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(iii) - Wire Facilities

a - Outside Plant: - Engineering plans and specifications covering the installation of outside plant facilities at all USAF-financed, USAF-manned Pinetree Line sites including Gander have been completed and distributed. Cost estimates and preliminary engineering data covering tail cable facilities for N-22 (St. John’s GCI), N-22A (St. John’s ADCC), N-23 (Stephenville), and N-25 (Gander) have been completed. Data has been furnished to the Department of Defence Production (Canada) for further procurement action upon receipt and signing of the long lines contract.

b - Inside Plant: - Northern Electric Company has been furnished with all the information required for production of the NE-611 and the NE-612 telephone systems. The NE-612 system (EW) will be essentially identical to the GTA-3 telephone system as furnished to USAF ZI EW stations. The NE-611 telephone system will consist of NE-612 telephone system expanded to meet GCI requirements.

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