Commander, Submarine Forces officially kicked off Operation Ice Camp Boarfish in the Arctic Ocean on Saturday, March 7, after the building of the camp and the arrival of the US Navy fast attack submarines USS Delaware and USS Santa Fe.
Ice Camp Boarfish is a three-week operation designed to research, test, and evaluate operational capabilities in the Arctic region.
In addition to US Navy, US Marine Corps, and Air National Guard participation, personnel from the Royal Australian Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy, the Royal Canadian Air Force, the French Navy, the UK Royal Navy, the Norwegian Defence Research Institute, and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology are also taking part.
This operation, held biennially, partners with the Arctic Submarine Laboratory and was elevated from an exercise to an operation to better reflect the navy’s strategic priorities in the Arctic.
The navy said Ice Camp will provide the necessary training to maintain a working knowledge of a constantly changing region.
The Navy’s Arctic Submarine Laboratory, a detachment of the Undersea Warfighting Development Center, is the lead organisation for planning and executing the operation.
The navy said the Arctic is experiencing a trend of diminishing sea ice, which increases the likelihood of maritime activity in the region, including trans-oceanic shipping and resource extraction.
The camp, named Ice Camp Boarfish, serves as a command centre for conducting operations and research. Established on a drifting ice floe, the camp consists of shelters, a command centre, and the necessary infrastructure to safely house and support the multi-national contingent of personnel throughout the operation.