The Coast Guard’s heavy ice cutter North Star and crew departed Seattle Nov. 22 for their annual deployment to support U.S. scientific stations in Antarctica.

Commissioned in 1976, the 399’x84′ North Star is now the Coast Guard’s only operational heavy icebreaker, as the service works to recapitalize its fleet. The Antarctic trip supports Operation Deep Freeze, an annual joint military mission to resupply U.S. Antarctic stations in support of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the lead agency for the United States Antarctic Program (USAP). ).

This is the 28th year that North Star supported ODF. Each year, the Polar Star breaks a navigable channel through the ice, allowing fuel and supply ships to reach McMurdo Station, which is the largest Antarctic station and the logistics hub of the USAP.

“After months of pre-deployment preparation and collaboration to address various challenges, the cutter and crew are ready to embark on this enduring and critical mission,” said Capt. Jeff Rasnake, The North Star commander. “I couldn’t be more proud of the tremendous dedication and teamwork of this team. They met or exceeded all of my expectations in the maintenance and training phases and continue to strive to build on these successes as we now move into the operation phase of the cutter.

This year, the Polar Star completed the fourth of five planned phases of a Lifespan Extension Project (SLEP). The project aims to keep the Polar Star operating at least until the commissioning of the first of three 460’x88′ Polar Security Cutters, currently under construction in Bollinger Mississippi ShipbuildingPascagoula, Miss.

The U.S. Coast Guard provides direct logistical support to the NSF and maintains a regional presence that preserves Antarctica as a scientific haven working under the direction of Joint Task Force-Antarctic Support Forces (JTF-SFA). Each year, a joint and total team works together to deliver a successful Operation Deep Freeze season. The team includes active duty, National Guard and Reserve members from the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard and Navy working together.