“HMS Protector Sails Further North Than Any Other Royal Navy Ship in History” –gCaptain

HMS Protector returned to Plymouth today (25th April 19) after 4 years away. The Royal Navy’s ice patrol ship will spend a few days at HMNB Devonport before she sails to the North East of England for a maintenance refit. Image: LPhot Paul Hall

“The Royal Navy’s HMS Protector has set a record for sailing closer to the North Pole than any other British surface ship in history.”

and they got some help from the US Coast Guard.

“On board Protector are scientists, engineers and advisors including from the Ministry of Defence and the British Antarctic Survey, as well as two Royal Navy officers who sailed into the Alaskan Arctic aboard the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Polar Star this past winter, and ice-breaking expert Lieutenant Lauren Kowalski, also from the U.S. Coast Guard.”

6 thoughts on ““HMS Protector Sails Further North Than Any Other Royal Navy Ship in History” –gCaptain”

For those who listen to Podcasts…or would just like to listen in on one about the CG’s Arctic Strategy, Polar Security Cutters, etc… from Adm Paul Zukunft, USCG, Ret…there was one recently on Four Star Forum:

“Episode 2 – Adm. Paul Zukunft, USCG ret., 25th Commandant of the US Coast Guard. Each of the military services is working on, or has released, an Arctic strategy. The service with the greatest forward presence in the Arctic is the Coast Guard. Admiral Zukunft will discuss the strategic importance of that region, and why you’re probably hearing more about the Arctic now than you ever have before. Who are our allies and adversaries in a region of the world that will look much different in 20 years than it does today?

”

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/2-adm-paul-zukunft-uscg-ret-on-arctics-place-in-great/id1567303578?i=1000522349189

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FONOPS in the Arctic Region

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/06/29/coast-guard-considers-arctic-fonops-russian-activity-increases-region.html

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Chuck Hill on June 30, 2021 at 10:08 am said:

The Coast Guard had been asked to do FONOPS in the Arctic before, but we just did not have sufficient reliable assets.

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- MassHole Coastie on June 30, 2021 at 1:59 pm said:
  
  In the above-listed Podcast, Admiral Zukunft discusses how he was approached by the Obama White House and was asked to do a FONOPS in the Artic but he had to advise against it…lauding how silly it would look if the Polar Star went up there and got stuck in the ice doing FONOPS against Russia…and then the US State Dept would have to ask the Ruskie’s to rescue our broke down ship – this story in itself is scarily indicative of the sorry azz state of the Coast Guard icebreaking fleet!!!