Northern watch

No. 12 Radar Detachment carried out aerial surveillance starting on August 1, 1942 from facilities located near the Bagotville military base. At the time, the technology used at the radar station, called ground-controlled interception, was so basic that in the fall geese were confused with enemy aircraft. In the 1950s, with the construction of the Pinetree line, Mount Apica station became one of many radar sites manned by the Canadian Armed Forces.

When the station closed in 1993, 12 Radar Squadron moved to Bagotville. The radar system is now installed on the Valin Mountains, more specifically on Castor Lake, 35 km north of the base. The main duty of 12 Radar Squadron is to offer radar support for fighter plane training and help with the Canadian government's commitments under the international NATO and NORAD agreements.

Photo : 12 Squadron's TPS-70 radar system is connected to the H-1 radar station in Keflavik, Iceland.