By Lt. j.g. Dave Ozeck, Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. The improved-Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Charlotte (SSN 766) arrived in Norfolk, Va., Nov. 29, following an historic transit that began in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and took the boat under the arctic ice cap. During the transit, Charlotte surfaced at the North Pole, ascending through 61 inches of ice - a record for a Los Angeles-class submarine. Upon reaching the Pole, the boat commenced a 12-hour underwater search of the ice canopy, utilizing specialized ice avoidance and side scan sonar systems. Once an ideal location was found, the ship performed a flawless vertical ascent.