In this Saturday, March 22, 2014 photo provided by the U.S. Navy, the Virginia-class attack submarine USS New Mexico, background, surfaces through the arctic ice near Ice Camp Nautilus, north of Alaska. Cracks in polar sea ice are prompting the Navy to break down an ice camp north of Alaska that provided support for an exercise involving submarines. The Navy says in a release Monday, March 24, 2014, that the commander of submarine forces ordered an early end to Ice Camp Nautilus because shifts in winds created instabilities in ice floes. (AP Photo/U.S. Navy, Joshua Davies)

In this Saturday, March 22, 2014 photo provided by the U.S. Navy, the Virginia-class attack submarine USS New Mexico, background, surfaces through the arctic ice near Ice Camp Nautilus, north of Alaska. Cracks in polar sea ice are prompting the Navy to break down an ice camp north of Alaska that provided support for an exercise involving submarines. The Navy says in a release Monday, March 24, 2014, that the commander of submarine forces ordered an early end to Ice Camp Nautilus because shifts in winds created instabilities in ice floes. (AP Photo/U.S. Navy, Joshua Davies)

Navy breaks down ice camp north of Alaska

  • By Dan Joling
  • Monday, March 24, 2014 10:12pm
  • News

ANCHORAGE — Cracks in polar sea ice north of Alaska will force the closing of an ice camp supporting a Navy submarine exercise, the Navy announced Monday.

Ice Exercise 2014 will continue but temporary structures erected as Camp Nautilus about 150 miles north of Prudhoe Bay began to come down Sunday, the Navy said in the announcement issued from Norfolk., Va.

All personnel are safe, the Navy said.

The Virginia-class attack submarine USS New Mexico and the Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Hampton were taking part and will continue collecting data and conducting drills until they exit the Arctic for open water, the Navy said.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

The exercise began March 17 and was scheduled to conclude March 30. The weather, however, did not cooperate.

A change in wind directions created instabilities in the ice floes on which the camp was erected, the Navy said. The wind changes led to multiple cracks in ice near the camp, which included a handful of buildings.

The cracks prevented the Navy from using airfields used to bring in people and equipment.

Problems were made worse by low temperatures and poor visibility that affected helicopter trips and the decision was made to break down the camp.

The USS Nautilus made the first transit to the North Pole under sea ice in 1958. The Navy has conducted operations under the ice for 50 years and has completed more than 120 Arctic exercises, the announcement said.

The last ice camp was erected in 2011.

Among the weekend visitors to the camp was U.S. Sen. Angus King of Maine. He landed Saturday in a single-engine airplane and toured the USS New Mexico, which had burst through polar ice. King stayed onboard the submarine for 20 hours, observing as it dove to 500 feet and broke back through the ice.

Associated Press reporter Blake Davis contributed to this report from Portland, Maine.

More in News

Vice President Kelly Cooper speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly in Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Borough considers seasonal sales tax rate

Borough sales tax would be modified from a flat 3% to a seasonal model of 4% in summer months and 2% in winter months.

The Kasilof River is seen from the Kasilof River Recreation Area, July 30, 2019, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)
King salmon fishing on Kasilof closes Thursday

If any king salmon is caught while fishing for other species, they may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.

Un’a, a female sea otter pup who was admitted to the Alaska SeaLife Center in June 2025, plays with an enrichment toy at the center in Seward, Alaska. Photo courtesy of the Alaska SeaLife Center
SeaLife Center admits 2 seal pups, 1 orphaned otter

The three pups join the Alaska SeaLife Center’s ‘growing’ patient list.

James Wardlow demonstrates flilleting a salmon with an ulu during a smoked salmon demonstration, part of Fish Week 2023, on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Refuge to celebrate all things fish during weeklong event

Fish Week will take place July 16-19.

President Zen Kelly speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, July 7, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
School board finalizes budget with deep cuts to programming, classrooms

Multiple members of the board said they were frustrated by the state’s failure to fund education.

Former KPBSD Finance Director Liz Hayes speaks during a Kenai Peninsula Borough School District budget development meeting at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
School district finance department earns national awards

The two awards are based on comprehensive reviews of the district’s budget and financial reporting.

Children leap forward to grab candy during a Fourth of July parade on South Willow Street in Kenai, Alaska, on July 4, 2025. (Photo courtesy Sarah Every)
Celebrating the 4th in the streets

Kenai comes out for annual Independence Day parade.

Fire crews respond to the Bruce Fire, July 4, 2025, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Alaska Division of Forestry)
Firefighting crews respond to wildfire outside Soldotna

The 8-acre fire and two “spot fires” of less than one acre each are located near Mile 102 and 103 of the Sterling Highway.

Most Read

You're browsing in private mode.
Please sign in or subscribe to continue reading articles in this mode.

Peninsula Clarion relies on subscription revenue to provide local content for our readers.

Subscribe

Already a subscriber? Please sign in