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Operating close to home might be a safer option for the aging icebreaker. Last year, on her voyage home from McMurdo, the\u00a0150 crewmembers of the Polar Star fought a fire that broke out in the ship\u2019s incinerator room<\/a> about 650 miles north of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n RELATED BOOK: Endurance: Shackleton\u2019s Incredible Voyage\u00a0by Alfred Lansing and Nathaniel Philbrick<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The U.S. Coast Guard maintains two icebreakers \u2013 the Coast Guard Cutter Healy<\/a>, which is a medium icebreaker, and the Polar Star, the United States\u2019 only heavy icebreaker. If a catastrophic event, such as getting stuck in the ice, were to happen to the Healy in the Arctic or to the Polar Star near Antarctica, the U.S. Coast Guard is left without a self-rescue capability.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n By contrast, Russia currently operates more than 40 icebreakers <\/a>\u2013 several of which are nuclear powered.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Coast Guard has been the sole provider of the nation\u2019s polar icebreaking capability since 1965, and is seeking to increase its icebreaking fleet with\u00a0new polar security cutters<\/a> in order to ensure continued national presence and access to the Polar Regions.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As the nation\u2019s primary maritime presence in the polar regions, the Coast Guard advances U.S. national interests through a unique blend of polar operational capability, regulatory authority, and international leadership across the full spectrum of maritime governance.\u00a0In April 2019, the Coast Guard released the Arctic Strategic Outlook<\/a>, which reaffirms the service\u2019s commitment to the region.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe Arctic is no longer an emerging frontier, but is instead a region of growing national importance,\u201d said<\/a> Vice Adm. Linda Fagan, commander of U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area. \u201cThe Coast Guard is committed to protecting U.S. sovereignty and working with our partners to uphold a safe, secure, and rules-based Arctic.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Typically, the Polar Star travels to Antarctica each year in support of Operation Deep Freeze, the annual military mission to resupply the United States\u2019 Antarctic stations, in support of the National Science Foundation.\u00a0This year\u2019s maritime resupply at McMurdo Station was canceled due to COVID safety precautions, and a limited resupply will be conducted via aircraft. However, Operation Deep Freeze is an enduring mission that requires a heavy icebreaker for a full resupply, and the Coast Guard anticipates resuming this critical deployment next year.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n