Two Nuclear Subs Transferred Under Arctic Ice Cap

## Two Nuclear Subs Transferred Under Arctic Ice Cap ### Navy mission marks the first such transit since the Cold War Two U.S. nuclear-powered fast-attack submarines transited the Arctic Ocean under the ice cap connecting Greenland and Alaska this summer, a Navy official confirmed to USNI News on Wednesday. The transits took place this summer with the submarines traveling in company from the Pacific to the Atlantic. They surfaced at the North Pole on Aug. 3, and then again on Aug. 19, at an undisclosed location in the Norwegian Sea. Cmdr. Dave Benham, a spokesman for Submarine Force U.S. Pacific Fleet, told USNI News that while the transit was notable in its recency, it was also part of a long history of under-ice operations by the Navy. “The U.S. Navy has been conducting under-ice operations in the Arctic since the 1950s. These operations provide valuable training opportunities for our crews and demonstrate our commitment to maintaining freedom of navigation in the Arctic, including beneath the ice,” Benham said. While the Navy has been conducting under-ice operations for decades, the last time two submarines transited the Arctic was in 1985, when the USS Pogy and USS Parche transited the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans under the ice cap. While the service has touted the Arctic as a region of increasing strategic competition, the Navy has not maintained a continuous presence under the ice cap. The development of the Seawolf-class submarines, with their advanced sonar systems, gave the Navy the ability to navigate under the ice, a capability that was no longer necessary after the end of the Cold War. But as the service shifts its focus toward a renewed era of great power competition, the Arctic has once again become a strategic priority for the Navy, as Russia and China both increase their military and scientific activities in the region. Russia, in particular, has been conducting regular under-ice operations with its submarines for decades and has developed new technologies and tactics that have given its navy a significant advantage in operating under the ice. The Navy has recognized the challenge and has begun working to develop new technologies and tactics to counter the Russian advantage. The service has been developing a series of new systems and technologies to improve under-ice navigation, including a new autonomous underwater vehicle called the Ice Exercise (ICEX) that can be used to map the ice and find safe routes for submarines to travel under it. The service has also been working with the U.S. Coast Guard to develop new training and exercises to prepare crews for operating in the Arctic. The Navy conducted a series of under-ice exercises in the Arctic this winter, including ICEX 2023, which took place in March. The exercise involved more than 200 personnel and four submarines, and helped further develop the Navy’s under-ice navigation skills. The Arctic is a harsh and unforgiving environment, and operating under the ice presents a unique set of challenges for submarines. The submarines must be able to navigate in darkness, cold, and under immense pressure, and they must be able to deal with the potential hazards of icebergs, sea ice, and other hazards. Despite the challenges, the Navy is committed to maintaining a presence in the Arctic and to developing the technologies and tactics necessary to operate under the ice. These recent under-ice transits by two fast-attack submarines demonstrate the Navy’s commitment to maintaining freedom of navigation in the Arctic and to responding to the security challenges of the 21st century.