During the rigorous training performed by hopeful fast-attack submarine crews from the
United States Navy, the men and women learn absolutely everything there is to know about
the vessel’s operations.
However, there is a particular skill that is not in the regular curriculum: how to surface
a nuclear submarine through a heavy layer of ice.
In 2018, the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Hartford and the Seawolf-class
fast-attack submarine USS Connecticut performed this visually stunning feat, and it was all
caught on camera.
In the footage, both submarines are seen creasing through thick layers of ice, popping out while
performing an exercise that has taken place for decades.
With the attention on the Arctic Ocean at an all-time high because of the melting ice
caps, many institutions such as the US Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard,
are perfecting their ice-based procedures to ensure an efficient transition into a new
world of operational possibilities in the most dangerous terrain in the world…
The Iciest Test
To Rear Admiral James Pitts, one of the highest ranking members in the United States Navy's
Undersea Warfighting Development Center, the Arctic Ocean is one of the most challenging
ocean environments on Earth from a military, geographic, and scientific standpoint.
That is why, on a biennial basis, the US Navy performs the multinational maritime Ice Exercise,
or ICEX, there.
The exercise gives the Allied submarine force an unparalleled opportunity to test weapons
systems, sonars, communication, and navigation technology in a unique and challenging operational
environment.
During ICEX, the United States Navy, Air Force, Marine Coast, and Coast Guard are joined by
personnel from the Royal Navy, and the Canadian Air Force and Navy.
This ice camp, administered by the Navy's Arctic Submarine Laboratory or ASL and built
solely for the event, serves as the lead organization for coordinating, planning, and executing
the weeks-long exercise with more than 200 participants from different countries.
The ICEX exercise also showcases the United States Arctic defense capabilities, broadening
the knowledge of a highly challenging region that is vastly different from any other ocean
in the world.
According to Rear Admiral Pitts, the operations in the Arctic’s icy terrain help gather
essential information about the methods and practices used by submarines to operate, communicate
and navigate, adding that: [QUOTE] "Having both submarines on the surface is a clear
demonstration of our proficiency in the Arctic."
Breaking Through The Ice
Slamming a submarine through the ice could be particularly harmful, and thus the crew
tries to find the areas with the least thickness.
To achieve this, submarines have different types of sonars, sensors, and video systems
to assess ice overhead.
One of them is an upward-looking sonar that allows the crew to locate patches of open
water or areas of minimal thickness.
Some of the submarines that are commonly used for these sorts of missions are Seawolf class.
Designed near the end of the Cold War and still considered the most capable submarines
in the Navy, their design has a hardened sail specifically made to break through thick ice.
Once the crew finds a likely spot to push through, the submarine sails a racetrack pattern
while figuring out how big the area is and how thick the ice is.
Because both the ship and the ice drift with the current, the submariners have to make
sure the area is large enough to surface and then sail through the icy walls.
Once the exercise crew finds the right spot, the submarine comes to a halt.
The crew then starts pumping out water to make it less buoyant and get to a specific
ascent rate.
The submarine then pops through the ice with a specific speed and momentum in order to
completely break through it.
Spectacular Images
One of the most well-known exercises in the training program involved a submarine surfacing
through a thick layer of ice.
During the stunt, which took place on March 10, 2018, fast-attack submarines USS Hartford
and USS Connecticut broke through the ice in a spot north of Alaska, surfacing over
the approximately 3-foot-thick ice.
While sea and ice provide concealment for submarines hiding from aircraft, the vessels
have to fully or partially come out in order to communicate, launch missiles, or support
surface activities.
Under normal circumstances, the submarines would ascend to periscope depth, but in under-ice
operations, they cannot move forward.
In the Arctic, the submarines have to go up at zero speed and straight towards the ice.
As USS Connecticut surfaced during the ICEX 2018 event, the sailors outside were able
to approach it, and visitors like Senators Gary Peters and Tom Cotton went inside.
Guidance from the National Ice Center is essential to make sure everything goes smoothly during
the exercise.
In addition, the Arctic Submarine Lab scientists also provide the information required to determine
where and how to surface, as they have decades of empirical knowledge acquired on different
submarine classes.
While the vertical surfacing procedure is not part of the average submariner's skill
set, Cameron Aljilani, commanding officer of the Seawolf-class fast-attack submarine
USS Connecticut, claims that these challenging exercises help the US Navy gain experience
and look for new ways to innovate.
Six Decades of Exploration
Submarine forces have conducted under-ice operations in the Arctic region as far back
as the late 1940s in support of inter-fleet transit, training, overall operations, and
cooperative Allied engagements.
However, the United States' first official ICEX exercise in which a submarine surfaced
and broke the ice was in 1958.
Since then, the United States Submarine Force has completed 26 Arctic exercises.
According to Lieutenant Mark Reid, a safety officer supporting the latest ICEX mission:
[QUOTE] "A big part of this is building on the submarine community's history, going back
to the 1940s, operating in the Arctic [...] This demonstrates that we not only haven't lost
that skill set, but we're always learning, improving and building upon the lessons we've
learned over the decades."
Still, the participants always need to be on the lookout.
In the 2003 ICEX exercise, a polar bear approached Connecticut while jutting through the ice.
Looking for an opportunity for food, the bear jumped right on top of the submarine and began
gnawing on its rudder.
Mark Barnoff, a scientist touring USS Connecticut at the time, took several photos of the event
through the submarine's periscope, catching incredible footage of the clash between animal
and machine.
Icy Interests
As Alaska's coastlines increase due to the melting of the ice caps, the interest of the
United States Navy in the region has dramatically escalated.
With new trade routes in the area, once-unreachable open waters are now much more accessible.
As such, the US Navy is now responsible for securing national interests and resources
and defending the nation's Exclusive Economic Zone.
Consequently, the government created and implemented the so-called Arctic policy of the United
States.
The three-part policy with near, mid-term, and far-term goals seeks to protect the Arctic
region, securing its future while considering the ever-changing climate.
As Rear Admiral Richard Seif, commander of the Navy's Undersea Warfighting Development
Center and ICEX ranking officer, puts it: [QUOTE] "The Arctic region can be unforgiving
and challenging like no other place on Earth [...] It's also changing and becoming more
active with maritime activity.
ICEX provides the Navy an opportunity to increase capability and readiness in this unique environment,
and to continue establishing best practices we can share with partners and allies who
share the U.S.'s goal of a free and peaceful Arctic."
Thank you for watching Dark Footage!
If you enjoyed our video, don’t hesitate to hit the like button and share it with someone
who might like it.
And for more incredible stories captured on camera, subscribe to this and all our other
Dark Documentaries channels, where we publish new content regularly.
Stay tuned!