Difference between revisions 649863 and 657032 on enwiki

[[Image:Dew line 1960.jpg|right|350px|thumb|A rough map of the three warning lines]]
The '''Pinetree Line''' was a series of [[radar]] stations located across southern [[Canada]] at about the 50th parallel, along with a number of other stations located on the [[Atlantic (ocean)|Atlantic]] and [[Pacific]] coasts. Run by [[NORAD]] (after its creation), over half were manned 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a [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] bomber attack on [[North America]], but the early [[1950s]] radar technology quickly became outdated and the line was in full operation only for a short time.

Plans for what would become the Pinetree Line were underway as early as [[1946]] within the [[Permanent Joint Board on Defence]] (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. It was later learned that the original radar systems performed better than expected, and 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 manned by RCAF personnel. On [[January 1]], [[1955]], the system was officially handed over to RCAF command, and over time an additional 10 stations were added.

The Pinetree Line had several technical problems that limited its usefulness almost immediately. For one, the system used a "classic" pulsed mode radar, which made it unable to detect targets close to the ground due to "clutter". Another was that its location near population centres meant if offered only a "last minute" warning, and as the USSR moved to [[jet]]-powered bombers the warning time was falling. Studies were already underway in [[1951]] to build a much smaller series of much more capable [[Doppler]] radar stations somewhat further north, which would develop into the [[Mid-Canada Line]], and just over a year after MCL, a more advanced system in the extreme north was built which would be known as the [[DEW Line]].

The Pinetree stations were kept operational during this period, and most underwent modifications as a part of the deployment of [[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.

==See also==
*[[List of Royal Canadian Air Force stations]]
*[[List of Canadian Forces bases]]

==External link==
* [http://www.pinetreeline.org/ The Pinetree Line]

[[Category:Canadian Air Force bases]]
[[Category:Canadian Air Force]]
[[Category:Military history of Canada]]
[[Category:Radar networks]]
[[Category:Royal Canadian Air Force]'''Ligue Européenne de Natation''' is the [[European]] governing body of [[swimming]]. It is often abbriviated to [[LEN]].

=== History/Info ===

LEN is the governing body of the 50 national European Swimming Federations. Their administrative headquarters are in [[Rome]], [[Italy]]. The running of LEN is overseen by an elected Bureau composed of Members representing 13 different Federations. LEN oversees all swimming sports in Europe - [[Swimming]], [[Waterpolo]], [[Synchronized swimming]] and [[Diving]].

=== Competitions ===

LEN runs various competitions within Europe, these are:

* [[European LC Championships]] ''(run every second year)''
* [[European SC Championships]] ''(run every year)''
* [[European Waterpolo Championships]] ''(run every second year)''
* [[European Masters Championships]] ''(run every second year)''
* [[European Junior Championships]] ''(run every second year)''
* [[European Open Water Championships]] ''(run every second year)''

LEN also runs various Cups in swimming and waterpolo as well as meets for junior swimmers.

=== National Bodies in Europe ===

The following national federations are part of LEN:

*[[Albania]] - [[Albanian Swimming Federation]]
*[[Andorra]] - [[Federació Andorrana de Natació]]
*[[Armenia]] - [[Association of Water Kind of Sports of the Republic of Armenia]]
*[[Austria]] - [[Verband Österreichischer Schwimmvereine ]]
*[[Azerbaijan]] -[[Azerbaijan Swimming Federation]]
*[[Belarus]] - [[Swimming Federation of Belarus]]
*[[Belgium]] - [[Fédération Royale Belge de Natation]]
*[[Bosnia]] & [[Herzegovina]] - [[Swimming Federation of Bosnia & Herzegovina]]
*[[Croatia]] - [[Croatian Swimming Federation]]
*[[Cyprus]] - [[Cyprus Amateur Swimming Association]]
*[[Czech Republic]] - [[Czech Swimming Federation]]
*[[Denmark]] - [[Dansk Svømmeunion]]
*[[Estonia]] - [[Estonian Swimming Federation]]
*[[Finland]] - [[Finnish Swimming Association]]
*[[France]] - [[Fédération Française de Natation]]
*[[Germany]] - [[Deutscher Schwimm-Verband]]
*[[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] - [[Georgian Aquatic Sports National Federation]]
*[[Gibraltar]] - [[Amateur Swimming Association of Gibraltar]]
*[[Great Britain]] - [[Amateur Swimming Association]]
*[[Greece]] - [[Fédération Hellenique Natation A.]]
*[[Hungary]] - [[Hungarian Swimming Association]]
*[[Iceland]] - [[Icelandic Swimming Federation]]
*[[Italy]] - [[Federazione Italiana Nuoto]]
*[[Ireland]] - [[Swim Ireland]]
*[[Israel]] - [[Israel Swimming Association]]
*[[Latvia]] - [[Latvijas Peldesanas Federacija]]
*[[Liechtenstein]] - [[Liechtenstein Swimming Association]]
*[[Lithuanian]] - [[Lithuanian Swimming Federation]]
*[[Luxemburg]] - [[Federation Luxembourgeoise de Natation et de Sauvetage]]
*[[Macedonia]] - [[Swimming Federation of Republic of Macedonia]]
*[[Malta]] - [[Aquatic Sports Association of Malta]]
*[[Moldova]] - [[Water Kind of Sports Federation of the Republic of Moldova]]
*[[Monaco]] - [[Federation Monegasque de Natation]]
*[[Netherlands]] - [[Koninklijke Nederlandse Zwembond]]
*[[Norway]] - [[Norges Svømmeforbund Sognsveien]]
*[[Poland]] - [[Polish Swimming Federation]]
*[[Portugal]] - [[Federaçáo Portuguesa de Nataçáo]]
*[[Romania]] - [[Romanian Swimming Federation]]
*[[Russia]] - [[All Russian Swimming Federation]]
*[[San Marino]] - [[San Marino Swimming Federation]]
*[[Serbia and Montenegro]] - [[Swimming Federation of Serbia and Montenegro]]
*[[Slovakia]] - [[Slovak Swimming Federation]]
*[[Slovenia]] - [[Plavalna Zveza Slovenije]]
*[[Spain]] - [[Real Federación Española de Natación]]
*[[Sweden]] - [[Svenska Simförbundet]]
*[[Switzerland]] - [[Fédération Suisse de Natation]]
*[[Turkey]] - [[Turkish Swimming Federation]]
*[[Ukraine]] - [[Ukrainian Swimming Federation]]

=== See Also ===

*[[Swimming]]
*[[FINA]]

=== External Links ===

*[http://www.lenweb.org LEN]