The Naval Crisis In The Arctic That America Refuses To Fix
Terrell Jermaine Starr
2/16/17 4:33pmFiled to: Icebreakers
26.5K
144
15
In this Monday, Dec. 12, 2016 photo, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star rests by a dock in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The only U.S. ship capable of breaking through Antarctica’s thick ice is undergoing repairs in balmy Hawaii this week as it prepares to head south. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy)
The Polar Star (WAGB-10), America’s sole remaining heavy icebreaker, is approaching her final years of service and it’s not clear when Washington will allocate the necessary money to replace the aging ship. This leaves the United States Coast Guard praying she doesn’t break down, and the country struggling with one of its least-understood and least-addressed national security needs.
Russia's Icebreakers Make It King Of The Arctic And America Is Just A Pauper
Most media coverage has been trained on Russia’s involvement in Syria, but Moscow is quietly…
Read more
What is more disturbing is that most lawmakers in Congress don’t see the urgency to build new ones. Commissioned in 1976, Polar Star is more than 40 years old and was supposed to retire 10 years ago. However, the dearth of heavy icebreakers in the Coast Guard’s fleet has forced her to stay active until replacements arrive—whenever that is.
http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/the-naval-crisis-in-the-arctic-that-america-refuses-to-1792433540
