Evening star., 1954-12-19
Gen. Jensen Heads
USAF Canada Unit
In Air Defense Net
BY Gerald Woring
4peeiol cerrsspondenf Of The Sfas

n
-&peeicl Correspondent Of The ssar
OTTAWA.-Brig. Gen. James
c. Jensen Ii the Pentagon's an
swer 10 the problem Of making
sure that II the Russianselaunch
an cir attack on this continent.
the American and Canadian air
forces will work together smooth
ly to stop the Red bombers from
reaching their targets.
Gen. Jensen, formerly head Of
the United States Air Forces
Division OF Operational Plans.
has been moved from the Pen
tagon to Ottawa on a brand
new double e-barreled assignment.
Gen. Nathan r. Twining, chief
of staff of the USAF. has made
him responsible for co-ordinat-
ing all USAF activities in Can
ada. and for continuing the
effective and harmonious liai-
son" between the USAF and
the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Al the joint Canadian-Amer
can radar network backed by
USAF and RCAF fighter squad
rons Is this continents main
defense against the growing Jet
bomber strength Of the Red
Air Force, Gen. Jensen's job
is vital to the security of both
the United States and Canada.
Runs Radar Stations.
The USAF operates some Of
the radar stations in the Pine
tree Chain in Southern Canada,
particularly those built by the
United States primarily to cover
the air approaches to American
cities which would be potential
targets.
It is also rushing plans for O
new Alaska to Greenland radar
line. known 90 the Distant Sarly
Warning or DEW" line, across
the Canadian Arctic ut about
the 10th degree Of latitude. This
will be mainly a fence OF un-
manned radar installations to
keep automatic round -the-clock
vigil for anything flying over
head. and to send out automatic
radio signals to report the sight
ing Of an aircraft. The United
States will build 1t, and the
USAF will station men at stra-
tegic points in the Arctic to
service and maintain the radar
robots.
The effective integration OF
the USAF radar installations
with those Of the RCAF is o big
part Of Gen. Jensen's job. AS
its share In the Joint watch over
Arctic skies Canada has built
and manned part Of the Pinetree
Chain, and is now spending $40
million to build the Mid Canada
Line, a fence of robot radar posts
through the Canadian wilderness
about half way between Pinetree
and the proposed DEW line.
Three Hours Warning.
It's estimated that the D. e. w.
line will warn Of the presence of
an aircraft at the Arctic Ocean
shoreline at least three hours be-
fore a 500 m.p.m. Jet bomber
could race down through the CEN
ter OF Canada to the United
States border. and considerably
longer time before the hostile
plane could reach United States
target areas.
A second sighting at the mid
Canada line would disclose the
course and ground
speed. simplifying the task of
the radar-equipped interceptor
planes to find and destroy the
raider before 1t could drop an
atomic bomb on q North Ameri-
can city.
Gen. Jensen hinted that this
radar defense in depth may ulti-
mately be pushed farther north,
to the outermost Arctic islands.
1--WE ought to be right around
his (the Russian's) border. just
as close as we can get" he. said.
The 47-year -old general, q for
mer fighter and transport pilot,
also Is responsible for co-ordinat-
ing the activities Of the USAF's
Northeast Air Command, based
at st. Johns, Newfoundland, with
those of the RCAF.