Acquisition and Operation of Polar Icebreakers: Fulfilling the Nation’s Needs (2017) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 19-32
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From page 19... ...
11 Appendix B MISSION NEED, THE POLAR ENVIRONMENT, AND ICEBREAKER CAPABILITY The United States has strategic national interests in the Arctic and the Antarctic. For more than 30 years, studies have emphasized the need for the United States to maintain polar icebreaking capability and have reaffirmed the importance of U.S.
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12 An examination of USCG's aging fleet of heavy polar icebreakers makes the need for a modern fleet evident. The Polar Star is more than 10 years beyond its intended 30-year service life, and the Healy is halfway through its 30-year projected life.
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13 of the 11 USCG missions; descriptions of all 11 missions are found in the Mission Need Statement (DHS 2013, 2–4)
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14 2009, emphasizes the continued importance of U.S. presence in the Arctic by establishing an Arctic Region Policy (NSPD 66/HSPD 25)
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15 for answering critical research questions for various science fields on subjects such as ocean–ice interactions, marine ecosystems, and marine food webs (NRC 2014; NRC 2015b)
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16 channel extends from the ice edge as far as 100 miles to McMurdo Station's ice pier and allows vessels carrying food, fuel, and other supplies to reach the station, where they are stored or distributed to field camps or Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station. In the past, this function has been served by the heavy icebreakers Polar Sea or Polar Star.
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17 Changing Conditions and Activity in the Polar Regions The dramatic changes occurring across the Arctic region have been summarized in numerous reports, including the recent Snow, Water, Ice and Permafrost in the Arctic assessment, which was developed by leading Arctic scientists (AMAP 2017)
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18 powerful icebreaker than those of the polar class and cannot operate independently at various times of the year in the Arctic and the Antarctic. The Polar Star currently performs one annual mission -- the McMurdo resupply.
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19 that could break thick, multiyear ice and that are operated by USCG to support its statutory requirements (NRC 2007)
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20 Future gaps may affect recurring mission requirements, such as the McMurdo resupply, and could affect USCG's readiness to respond to less predictable, quickly occurring events, such as those involving the use of military capabilities. The rapid aging and deterioration of the USCG polar icebreaker fleet are the main reasons for this mission impact (ABS Consulting 2010a)
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21 While the Mission Need Statement indicates that "a fleet of up to six" polar icebreakers (three heavy and three medium) may be required, the committee suggests that four heavy icebreakers will meet the current capacity and capability gaps identified in the Mission Need Statement.
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22 the Polar Star mission capable until July 2025. As mentioned above, continued operation of the Polar Star does introduce additional risk, including that of catastrophic failure.
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24 O'Rourke, R
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