Oliktok Point marks the eastern entrance to Harrison Bay on the Beaufort Sea, situated approximately 16 miles (26 km) west of Beechey Point, 35 miles (56 km) northeast of Nuiqsut, and 35 miles (56 km) northwest of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. The Iñupiaq name “Olikto,” meaning “it shakes or trembles,” was first recorded by Lieutenant William J.S. Pullen of the Royal Navy.

The North Warning System is a joint United States-Canadian early warning network for North America’s air defense. It provides surveillance of airspace to detect potential incursions or attacks from the polar region. The system replaced the Distant Early Warning Line in the late 1980s. Currently, there are 11 stations in Canada and four in Alaska.

The Distant Early Warning site at Oliktok Point, built in 1957, was initially operated by civilian contract workers. The radar station was upgraded in 1990 as part of the North Warning System. In 1998, Pacific Air Forces launched “Operation Clean Sweep” to remediate abandoned Cold War stations in Alaska and restore the land to its original state. The Oliktok site remains active, and is manned by civilian contractors for periodic maintenance and can be accessed by road from Deadhorse. Read more here and here. Explore more of Oliktok Point and the Beaufort Sea here: