Polar Star Returns from Annual Antarctic Support Mission
The Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB-10) and crew have returned to the United States, following a 138-day deployment to Antarctica to support Operation Deep Freeze 2024.
This deployment marks the Polar Star’s 27th journey to Antarctica in support of Operation Deep Freeze, an annual joint military service mission to resupply the United States Antarctic stations in support of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the lead agency for the United States Antarctic Program (USAP).
This year also marks the 64th iteration of the annual operation. The Polar Star crew departed Seattle bound for Antarctica in November 2023, traveling more than 27,500 mi. through the North Pacific, South Pacific, Indian and Southern Oceans, as well as the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska, which included stops on four continents.
After arriving in Antarctica, the cutter broke a 38-mi. channel through fast ice up to 12 ft. thick, creating a navigable route for cargo vessels to reach McMurdo Station. The Polar Star and crew executed three close-quarters ice escorts for cargo vessels through difficult ice conditions to guarantee the delivery of 9 million gallons of fuel and 80 million pounds of cargo to advance scientific endeavors in the most remote region of the world. The cutter departed the Antarctic region in February after 51 days of operations in support of Operation Deep Freeze 2024.
The mission of Operation Deep Freeze includes strategic and tactical inter-theater airlift and airdrop coordination, aeromedical evacuation support, search and rescue response, sealift, seaport access, bulk fuel supply, port cargo handling, and transportation requirements supporting the NSF. This unique mission demonstrates U.S. commitment to the Antarctic Treaty and scientific research programs. The Polar Star and crew contribute to this yearly effort by breaking the solid ice channel to clear the way for supply vessels.
The Polar Star is now in Vallejo, California, for phase four of its five-year service life extension project to recapitalize targeted systems, including the propulsion, communication and machinery control systems, and conduct significant maintenance.
The Seattle-based Polar Star is the United States’ only asset capable of providing access to both polar regions. The cutter is a 399-ft. heavy polar icebreaker commissioned in 1976.