USCG Cutter Polar Star Departs Antarctica Marking 49 Years of Operations
The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star departed the Antarctic region Tuesday, March 4, after having spent 65 days south of the Antarctic Circle in support of Operation Deep Freeze 2025 the annual research and resupply mission. The Coast Guard highlights that the unique icebreaker celebrated its 49th year of operations after life extensions designed to keep the vessel operational until at least 2029 when the new icebreaker Polar Sentinel is scheduled to finally be completed.
Polar Star’s crew performed icebreaking duties in McMurdo Sound, clearing routes to ensure safe passage for cargo vessels for McMurdo Station and New Zealand’s Scott Base. Polar Star also conducted a crew exchange with the New Zealand Defense Force ship Aotearoa while it was operating in the region.
The annual mission was completed this week with the Polar Star departing McMurdo Station (USCG)
“The surface ice conditions in McMurdo Sound were abnormally light this year, a welcome change of pace from the extreme conditions experienced last year,” said Captain Jeff Rasnake, Polar Star’s commanding officer. “Operation Deep Freeze presented a number of challenges, beyond those inherent in maintaining and operating a 49-year-old ship to complete this arduous mission. We benefitted tremendously from a great deployment plan which allowed us to take advantage of favorable conditions and use the elements to stay ahead of events without pressing the cutter or crew excessively.”
Polar Star also worked with the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) to support a secure and sustainable Southern Ocean. It 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.
The vessel and her crew have transited nearly 16,000 miles since departing its Seattle homeport in November with stops in Honolulu, Sydney, and McMurdo Station. To celebrate its 49th year of service, the vessel also visited Cape Polar Star in the northern part of the Ross Sea. Cape Polar Star was named after the icebreaker for the scientific support provided by the cutter in the area during Operation Deep Freeze 86.
Polar Star is the United States’ only asset capable of providing access to both polar regions. The Seattle-based cutter is a 399-foot heavy polar icebreaker commissioned in 1976. It is 13,500 tons and is 84 feet wide with a 34-foot draft. The cutter's six diesel and three gas turbine engines produce up to 75,000 horsepower.
After years of delays, design challenges, and cost overruns, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Navy Integrated Program Office received approval on December 19 to begin building the Polar Sentinel, the first of three planned heavy icebreakers. The order for the vessel was placed with VT Halter which was later acquired by Bollinger Shipyards. The new vessel is slated to be larger at 460 feet (140 meters) in length and 23,300 displacement tons.
During a speech in January days after taking office, Donald Trump said the U.S. would launch a massive building program for new icebreakers. In total, he said there could be 40 vessels built although due to the complexity of the heavy icebreaker, it is unlikely that all the vessels would be of that class. The U.S. currently only has the Polar Star as the heaviest vessel, along with the medium icebreaker Healy which has been in operation since 2000, and the recent acquisition of commercial polar icebreaker Aiviq, renamed Storis, which is expected to be commissioned in 2026 to provide bridging capacity until the new fleet is in service.