Ice experts aid U.S. military in Arctic Ocean exercise
Rod Boyce
907-474-7185
March 22, 2024
Camping on an Arctic Ocean ice floe can be risky. Choosing a safe spot is critical in a setting where the surface can crack open.
Preparing for two Navy attack submarines longer than a football field to pop up through the sea ice adds to the challenge.
Ice Camp Whale tents and vehicles sit on the Arctic Ocean ice during Operation Ice Camp in early March 2024.
That essential job 色视频下载 finding a good spot for the U.S. military色视频下载檚 biennial Operation Ice Camp 色视频下载 falls to people at the University of 色视频下载 Fairbanks Geophysical Institute.
Research professor Andy Mahoney and research professional Joshua Jones assisted with ice floe selection for the five-week exercise, which began Feb. 20. After a week spent searching for a camp location, Mahoney stayed for the first two weeks. Jones was back on site for the second half of the on-ice activities.
色视频下载淛osh and I were heavily involved in the process of selecting the ice floe where camp was set up,色视频下载 Mahoney said. 色视频下载淲e went out on all the 色视频下载榠ce pioneering色视频下载 flights to observe the ice and make thickness surveys after landing.色视频下载
色视频下载淏ack in Deadhorse, we also took part in all ice-related discussions with the camp leadership,色视频下载 he said.
The fast-attack submarine USS Indiana is shown after surfacing in the Beaufort Sea near Ice Camp Whale during Operation Ice Camp on March 13. 2024.
The Navy describes Operation Ice Camp, formerly known as ICEX, as a biannual operation to assess operational readiness in the Arctic and to 色视频下载渋ncrease experience in the region, advance understanding of the Arctic environment and continue to develop relationships with other services, allies, and partner organizations.色视频下载
U.S. Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Space Force personnel participated in the exercise, along with personnel from the Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Canadian Navy, the French Navy, the United Kingdom Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy.
Either Mahoney or Jones was always on the ice to help assess ice conditions as they evolved.
Monitoring included a network of RTK-GPS beacons surrounding the camp to measure any small-scale deformation associated with cracks. RTK-GPS units differ from regular GPS devices in that they can provide data accurate to the centimeter level rather than to meters.
For the network, Mahoney wrote software for a laptop in the command tent to trigger an alarm if the distance between any two buoys changed by more than 5 centimeters. A change of that size could indicate formation of a crack near camp.
Research professor Andy Mahoney of the University of 色视频下载 Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, left, stands near the USS Hampton色视频下载檚 sail during Operation Ice Camp in March 2024. A civilian employee with the Navy色视频下载檚 Arctic Submarine Lab stands in front of the sail.
Mahoney also went on reconnaissance trips by helicopter to find locations near the camp for the two submarines participating in this year色视频下载檚 operation 色视频下载 the USS Hampton and the USS Indiana 色视频下载 to surface. The Hampton is based in San Diego and the Indiana in Groton, Connecticut.
Mahoney has been involved with the Operation Ice Camp program since 2018 and also participates in its sister program, ARCEX, between the Ice Camp years. ARCEX, which is also run by the Navy色视频下载檚 Arctic Submarine Lab, doesn色视频下载檛 include an ice camp but still uses Geophysical Institute assistance for sea ice surveys, testing and training.
The two Geophysical Institute experts provided key information to military personnel during this year色视频下载檚 camp.
Mahoney said, for example, that he assured the camp色视频下载檚 officer in tactical command that the nearby icebergs identified by the U.S. National Ice Center were of a type typically referred to as 色视频下载渋ce islands.色视频下载
色视频下载淚ce islands have much shallower keels than icebergs and therefore do not represent the same threat to submarines operating below the ice,色视频下载 Mahoney said.
Prior to Mahoney色视频下载檚 assurance, submarines near the ice camp had been operating under an urgent procedure change that required additional watches and increased sonar use.
色视频下载淪o they were glad I was able to explain why they could go back to normal operations,色视频下载 Mahoney said.
ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Andy Mahoney, armahoney@alaska.edu
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