A couple of noteworthy items, first, why is Polar Star, based in Seattle, going into San Francisco?
For the fifth year in a row, Polar Star is going into an extended maintenance and dry-docking period in Vallejo, this time for the final phase of a five year rolling service life extension program. Apparently the plan is to do the same thing with USCGC Healy.
SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) and crew returned to the United States, arriving in San Francisco Sunday, following a 128-day deployment to Antarctica in support of Operation Deep Freeze (ODF) 2025.
Polar Star completed its 28th voyage to Antarctica in support of the joint military service mission to resupply and maintain the United States Antarctic Stations. Every year, a joint total force team works together to complete a successful Operation Deep Freeze in support of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) – the agency that manages the United States Antarctic Program (USAP).
Polar Star departed Seattle bound for Antarctica on Nov. 22, 2024, traveling over 25,000 miles through the North Pacific, South Pacific, and Southern Oceans.
Polar Star made two logistical stops in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and Sydney en route to Antarctica. In Sydney, the cutter and crew hosted the U.S. Consul General Christine Elder and other members of the U.S. Embassy.
In Antarctica, the cutter encountered 14 miles of fast ice up to six feet thick. Polar Star created a navigable route and cleared Winter Quarters Bay for two cargo vessels and HMNZS Aotearoa to reach NSF McMurdo Station. While operating in McMurdo Sound, Polar Star, and Aotearoa conducted an at-sea crew exchange to build camaraderie and a shared understanding of each vessel’s unique capabilities in the polar regions. At the conclusion of vessel operations at McMurdo Station, the cutter departed the Antarctic region on March 3 after 60 days of support to ODF 2025.
Polar Star provides heavy icebreaking capabilities to facilitate sealift, seaport access, bulk fuel supply, and cargo handling for two of three permanent U.S. research stations in Antarctica, with NSF McMurdo Station being the largest. The cutter’s icebreaking capabilities enable the safe delivery of critical supplies to sustain USAP’s year-round operations and support international partnerships in the harsh Antarctic environment. It is vitally important that the U.S. maintains a maritime domain presence in Antarctica to protect international access to the region, in line with the Antarctic Treaty System.
Polar Star also worked with the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) to support a secure and sustainable Southern Ocean. Polar Star was the first United States surface asset to support CCAMLR. The crew’s efforts to observe and monitor fishing and other activity on the high seas safeguarded resources and U.S. national interests in the Antarctic region.
“This crew continues to amaze me by how well they work together through every challenge,” said Capt. Jeff Rasnake, Polar Star’s commanding officer. “And I am so very proud of how each person brought their best energy every day to keep the ship running, to endure the strain of this long deployment, to take care of each other, and to truly thrive as a team.”
On their journey back to the United States, Polar Star’s crew moored in French Polynesia. Polar Star’s stop in French Polynesia included visits with the Commander of the Armed Forces in French Polynesia, Naval Base Papeete Commandant, and the Secretary to the High Commissioner of French Polynesia. These engagements underscored the United States’ continued commitment to a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
“But our work isn’t done,” said Rasnake. “As we wrap up ODF 25, we must quickly transition to the first phase of ODF 26 – heavy depot maintenance. There’s no time to waste as we work to ensure Polar Star is ready to roll into her 50th year of service.”
Polar Star will enter the final phase of its five-year Service Life Extension Project (SLEP). SLEP was awarded to Mare Island Dry Dock, LLC, in Vallejo, to recapitalize targeted systems, including the cutter’s propulsion, communication, machinery control, and auxiliary systems, and to conduct significant maintenance extending the cutter’s service life. Completing SLEP will significantly mitigate the risk of lost operational days due to unplanned maintenance or system failures by replacing obsolete, unsupportable, or maintenance-intensive equipment. Each phase is coordinated so that operational commitments, like Operation Deep Freeze missions in Antarctica, will still be met.
The Seattle-based Polar Star is the only United States asset capable of providing assured access to both polar regions. The cutter is a 399-foot heavy polar icebreaker commissioned in 1976. It weighs 13,500 tons, is 84 feet wide, and has a 34-foot draft. The six diesel and three gas turbine engines produce up to 75,000 horsepower.
Next year’s Operation Deep Freeze will be Polar Star’s 29th and will coincide with Polar Star’s 50th commissioning date anniversary.
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