The Coast Guard’s icebreaker program faces an uncertain future

By DAVID W. MUNNS, Assistant Editor

Faced with budget constraints and dilapidated ships, the U.S. Coast Guard is being forced to cede much of its polar icebreaking role to another government agency that now hires foreign vessels to do the task.

The National Science Foundation (NSF), leader of annual science expeditions in Antarctica, recently contracted with Russian icebreakers for services in the Antarctic. The NSF has been given complete financial control of what is left of the Coast Guard polar icebreaker fleet.

Polar icebreaking is linked to U.S. science expeditions there, which have been conducted by agencies such as the Department of Defense and NSF for decades, and to the viability of the U.S. interests in these regions, said Cmdr. Thomas Wojahn, ice operations program manager for the Coast Guard.

Earth sciences and atmospheric research is performed at McMurdo Station on Ross Island, the southernmost point in Antarctica that can be reached by ship. The researchers must be supported by icebreakers, a task the Coast Guard has performed for more than three decades.

The Defense Department also conducts research at the South Pole Station, 1,350 kilometers from McMurdo, which is supplied entirely by ski planes.

The United States also is one of five nations with territory bordering the Arctic. Access to the region affects U.S. influence in the area as the United Nations debates the Law of the Sea Convention that stipulates which states will control various Antarctic and Arctic seabeds, said Anita Jones, professor at the University of Virginia and chair of the National Research Council (NRC) Committee on the Assessment of U.S. Icebreaker Roles and Future Needs. The committee released its report in December at the request of Congress using Coast Guard funds.

Congress directed in 2005 that financial control of the Polar fleet be transferred to the NSF to “align the primary beneficiary with the budget,” Wojahn said.

Entire Coast Guard units, such as the Polar Operations Division, are in the process of being disbanded as a result of the move. However, the Coast Guard remains responsible for management of the fleet.

The Coast Guard polar heavy icebreaker fleet comprises Polar Star and Polar Sea, built in the mid-1970s, and Healy, which began operations in 2000. All are designed for use in the Arctic and Antarctic. A small icebreaker, the Mackinaw, was built for specialized duty in the Great Lakes and is not capable of handling Polar missions.

The nation’s icebreaking fleet is becoming obsolete due to overwork, which has caused it to miss its regular maintenance cycles and deteriorate at an accelerated rate. The Polar Sea has been out of commission since April 2004 due to engine problems, while the Polar Star is currently in standby to save costs per the direction of NSF. Foundation officials were not available for comment on the matter.

The NRC report recommends that the U.S. maintain control of at least one heavy icebreaker for McMurdo Station; that it stay dedicated to year-round icebreaker capability in the arctic for both national security and science; that it sustain one Polar-class ship for four to eight years; and that the NSF revert back to being a user, granting budget authority to the Coast Guard.

In addition to scientific research and territorial concerns, the U.S. has an agreement with the Canadian government to support U.S. needs, including icebreaking, in the eastern Arctic. In exchange, the U.S. provides for Canadian requirements in the western Arctic. This agreement is crucial for bringing supplies to Thule Air Base in Greenland, the U.S. military’s northernmost air base. But it is now uncertain if the United States will be able to hold up its end of the agreement.

The NRC report makes the case that human presence — Native Alaskan fishers and hunters, cruise ships, and cargo and tanker traffic — will increase in the Arctic in future years.

“Anytime you have an increased human presence, you really need to have a law enforcement presence,” Jones said. Budget constraints, failing equipment and divided management could make this role even more difficult for the Coast Guard in years to come.