US Icebreaker Suffers Fire, Engine Failure
The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy (WAGB-20) is making an early return to its Seattle homeport, and its future Arctic operations have been canceled after the 21-year-old medium icebreaker suffered a fire in one of its main propulsion motors last week.The electrical fire was reported at 9:30 p.m. on August 18 while the Healy was 60 nautical miles off of Seward, Alaska, where it had embarked 11 scientists for research and security mission in the Arctic.An onboard fire team disconnected the affected motorâŠ
Video: Trump Says US is Working to Acquire 10 Icebreakers
President Donald Trump says the U.S. is hashing out a plan to acquire up to 10 additional polar icebreakers for the U.S. Coast Guard.Trump, who over the years has emphasized his administration's commitment to growing the Coast Guard's icebreaker fleet, outlined the new plans in vague terms within remarks delivered at Southern Command headquarters in Doral, Fla., Friday.The President did not specify how the icebreakers would be obtained, or whether the vessels would be newbuildsâŠ
USCG Polar Security Cutters: The History and Future
The good news is that work has commenced on the first new heavy polar icebreaker for the United States Coast Guard in 43 years. The bad news is that when it enters service, projected to occur in FY2024, it will be the first new heavy polar icebreaker for the USCG in 47 years.Meanwhile, Russia has approximately 30 active polar icebreakers, including four that are nuclear powered. Arktika, the first of a new class of three heavy polar icebreakers, has commenced sea trials in the Gulf of Finland, with the other two under construction.
USCG PSC Equals meaningful Polar Presence
The Coast Guard needs a ship that can do more than just break ice; it needs a multi-mission ship to provide for the nationâs security, asserting its sovereign rights, and protecting its long-term economic interests. That ship is the Polar Security Cutter.Since Russia cashed the check in 1867 for the purchase of Alaska the U.S. has been an Arctic nation. Today, it is one of eight countries that have territorial land or seas above the Arctic Circle or in the polar region (six of those countries have Arctic Ocean coastline or an exclusive economic zone above the Arctic Circle). The U.S.
July: Earth's Hottest Month Ever Recorded
According to the latest monthly climate report from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), July 2019 was hottest month on record for the planet and Polar sea ice melted to record lows.Much of the planet sweltered in unprecedented heat in July, as temperatures soared to new heights in the hottest month ever recorded. The record warmth also shrank Arctic and Antarctic sea ice to historic lows.The average global temperature in July was 1.71 degrees F above the 20th-century average of 60.4 degreesâŠ
LANL Releases New Sea-Ice Computer Model
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) with several collaborating groups released an update for an internationally vital sea-ice computer model, called CICE version 6.0, a timely tool that supports more accurate forecasting of ice occurrence and global climate modeling.âThis update improves our ability to understand a type of anchored ice, called land-fast ice, that is attached to the shore or sea bottom and can block shipping lanes and northern ports,â said Elizabeth Hunke, lead developer of the CICE model. âThe polar regions are not desolate, theyâre actually alive with shipping, energy development, fishing, hunting, research and military defense operations,â Hunke noted.âSea ice makes navigation hazardous, as thick ice can block fishing boats and even makes it difficult for U.S.
Bollinger: New Icebreakers Could be Built in Florida
As the U.S. Coast Guard continues planning for the construction of the new icebreakers it desperately needs, U.S. shipbuilder Bollinger Shipyards says it has a facility suitable to build them.Bollinger says it has selected Tampa Shipyard for the design and construction of up to three heavy polar icebreakers, and three additional medium sized icebreakers under consideration by the U.S. Coast Guard.âWe are excited to respond to the Coast Guardâs need to recapitalize its depleted polar capabilities,â said Ben Bordelon, Bollingerâs President and CEO.
The US Government Must Fund Icebreakers Now
Congress last funded the purchase of polar icebreakers for the U.S. Coast Guard in the early 1970s. The USCCG Polar Star (WAGB-10) was commissioned in 1976, followed by the USCGC Polar Sea (WAGB-11) in 1977. Polar Sea has been out of service since 2010 due to a major engine failure. Polar Star was âin commission, specialâ status from 2008 through 2012 while undergoing a service life extension. It is currently the only active heavy polar icebreaker in the U.S. fleet. The less capable USCGC Healy (WAGB-20) is a medium icebreaker and is equipped to support research missions in polar waters.
US Icebreaker Suffers Flooding, Engine Failure in Antarctic
Americaâs aging, sole remaining heavy icebreaker suffered several engineering challenges, including flooding and engine failure, on its way to completing a recent mission in the Antarctic, highlighting the U.S.â need for new polar icebreakers. The 1970s-era U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star is called upon each year to aid the delivery of fuel and supplies for National Science Foundation research stations in Antarctica, carving a navigable path through the Ross Sea where seasonal and multi-year ice is sometimes as much as 10 feet thick.
Space X Launches Fourth Set of Iridium NEXT Satellites
Iridium Communications announced that, SpaceX successfully launched the fourth set of 10 Iridium NEXT satellites into orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The launch marks the midway point of the Iridium NEXT launch program, and was the first Iridium launch to use a SpaceX flight-proven rocket. The first stage booster for Iridium-4 was previously used for Iridium-2, making Iridium the first company to reuse the same rocket booster. Each launch strategically delivers new satellites to specific orbital planes, so that the complete Iridium NEXT constellation will be operational as soon as possible after all launches are complete.
Arctic and Antarctic Sea Ice at Record Low in January
The extent of sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctic last month was the lowest on record for January, the U.N. World Meteorological Organization said on Friday, while concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere hit a January record. "The missing ice in both poles has been quite extraordinary," David Carlson, director of the World Climate Research Programme, told a U.N. briefing in Geneva. "It is a quite strange situation. The month of January was probably the second or third hottest such month on record, but that was not a reliable indicator of the state of the climate, he said.
Polar Sea Ice the Size of India Vanishes in Record Heat
Sea ice off Antarctica and in the Arctic is at record lows for this time of year after declining by twice the size of Alaska in a sign of rising global temperatures, climate scientists say. Against a trend of global warming and a steady retreat of ice at earth's northern tip, ice floating on the Southern Ocean off Antarctica has tended to expand in recent years. But now it is shrinking at both ends of the planet, a development alarming scientists and to which a build-up of man-made greenhouse gasesâŠ
America Needs Icebreakers
Russia has more polar icebreakers than the rest of the world combined. America has one polar icebreaker and that one is well past its prime. There has been talk of sharing icebreakers. Sharing may work with allies, who are generally on the same page. Sharing will not work with Russia, which views the world as a zero-sum game. In June 2016, Russia announced the launching of Arktika, the worldâs largest polar icebreaker. With a full load displacement of 33,540 tons, a length of 173.3 meters and a breadth of 34 meters, it will be capable of breaking ice up to 2.9 meters.
North Pole: The Latest Tourist Trap
On August 16, 2015, the geographic North Pole was visited by a Russian surface ship for the one-hundredth time. The Russian nuclear icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy (50 Years of Victory) carried 106 tourists from 16 different countries. This was the icebreakerâs seventh cruise to the Pole just this season. Each voyage takes just less than two weeks round trip, and that includes a full day of partying at the top of the world. This is all available for a starting cost of $26,995 per person for a basic two-person cabin with a standard twin bedâŠ
USCG Makes Headway in Challenging Waters
Day after day, the U.S. Coast Guard continues to conduct its 11 statutory missions with its limited resources. It is challenged to Invest in long-term operational capacity while continuing to carry out its daily missions. âWeâre a small service, but as always, we do punch above our weight class,â said Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft during the 2015 Surface Navy Association symposium in Arlington, Virginia. While the Coast Guard may have drifted off course with its ambitious and holistic Deepwater recapitalization effortâŠ
USCG Icebreaker 'Polar Star' Change of Command
Vice Adm. Charles W. Ray, Coast Guard Pacific Area commander, will preside over the ceremony where Capt. Matthew R. Walker will assume the duties and responsibilities as commanding officer of 'Polar Star' from Capt. George E. Pellissier, informs the Coast Guard. Commissioned in 1976, Polar Star is currently the only heavy ice breaker in service in the United States. The ship was built by Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company of Seattle, Washington along with her sister ship, Polar Sea. The cutterâs missions include close ice escort and logistics support of high latitude outposts. Polar Star also conducts search and rescue and supports scientific research in the Antarctic and Arctic regions. Capt.
House Subcommittee Hearing Highlights âDismal Stateâ of U.S. Icebreaking Capability
At the July 23, 2014, hearing of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation on âImplementing U.S. Policy in the Arcticâ the committee chairman, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), opened the proceedings by holding up a graphic of the icebreaker fleets of the worldâwhich depicts nearly 40 Russian icebreakersâand then commented on the âdismal stateâ of the U.S. icebreaker situation. The hearing background paper noted that the United States presently has only two working polar class icebreakersâŠ
Nordic Yards Begins Rescue and Salvage Vessel Builds
Nordic Yards started construction of two ice-breaking rescue and salvage vessels for the Russian Ministry of Transport today. The cutting of the first steel section, which traditionally marks the start of flame-cutting, was celebrated at the Wismar yard in the presence of representatives of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RMRS) classification society. The Russian Ministry of Transport ordered the two multipurpose rescue and salvage vessels from Nordic Yards in December 2012.
Nordic Yards at Russia's Top Shipbuilding Fair
"Russia is and will remain an essential market for us", stated Vitaly Yusufov, owner and Managing Director of Nordic Yards. Currently there are a number of Russian contracts in the Nordic order books. For example yesterday, September 23, construction of two ice-breaking rescue and salvage ships ordered by Russia's Ministry of Transport in December 2012 started at the Nordic Yards shipyard in Wismar. After delivery in 2015 they will be used for patrol and rescue operations on the northern Polar Sea route.
Is the US Prepared to Protect Its Arctic Interests?
The answer to this question is a resounding âno.â The U.S. is not prepared to protect its interests in the Arctic over the next decade. The primary legal regime that is being relied upon by all members of the Arctic fraternity, the Law of the Sea Convention, has not been adopted by the U.S. The operational resources needed to pursue our interests have not been funded and there is currently little prospect that they will be funded in the near future. U.S. interests in the Arctic are vast.
RV Sikuliaq: Modern Electric Propulsion & Power Management
While ships have used electricity to help power vessels for a long time, new and sophisticated diesel-electric technologies are making serious gains in efficiency, noise and environmental impact, and is becoming the propulsion system of choice for some high profile names. A recent case is the diesel-electric powered, RV Sikuliaq (pronounced âsee-koo-lee-auk,â an Inupiaq term meaning âyoung sea ice.â), a vessel embarking on a lifetime of studies in the polar sea region, including examining the effects of climate change and increased human presence in the Arctic.
Polar Code Will Force Big Operator Investment
Experts predict a higher level of shipping activity through polar sea routes for the years to come. Aiming to limit the impact of this activity on the regionâs fragile environment, the IMOâs Polar Code sets standards that are likely to affect operators in a big way when they come into force in 2017. The Polar Code, adopted by the IMO via amendments to the SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) and MARPOL (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Conventions, sets a number of mandatory shipping rulesâŠ
USCG: The Fleet Faces Forward
The numerous cutters and craft of the U.S. Coast Guard âfrom the sail training ship Eagle to the large oceangoing patrol ships; from polar icebrakers to small utility boats â form a formidable fleet to meet the many challenging assignments undertaken by the service. In 2014 the Coast Guard continues its recapitalization program with its National Security Cutter (NSC), Fast Response Cutter (FPC) and Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC). The service plans to procure 91 cutters (8 NSCs, 25 OPCs and 58 FRCs) to replace are 90 aging cutters and patrol boats. According to a Feb.