A U.S. Navy submarine dramatically surfaced through Arctic ice this week as part of a major multinational military operation designed to test under-ice capabilities and strengthen cooperation among allied forces.
The USS Delaware (SSN‑791) performed a vertical surfacing through the ice on March 7 to help kick off Operation ICE CAMP 2026 in the Arctic Ocean. The event marked the beginning of a three-week operation aimed at researching, testing, and evaluating military capabilities in one of the world’s most extreme environments.
The exercise, known as ICE CAMP Boarfish, is being conducted in the Beaufort Sea and includes participation from U.S. Navy forces along with service members and researchers from several allied nations. Personnel involved in the operation include members of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and Air National Guard, as well as participants from the Royal Australian Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force, French Navy, the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, the Norwegian Defence Research Institute, and Japan’s Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology.
According to the U.S. Navy, the Arctic region has become increasingly important for national security and global stability. Vice Adm. Richard Seif, commander of Submarine Forces, said the operation allows the Navy and its partners to refine their capabilities in the region.
“The Arctic is a critical region for national security and global stability. Our commitment to a sustained presence and operational readiness here is unwavering,” Seif said. “ICE CAMP Boarfish allows us to test and refine our capabilities, deepen our interoperability with key allies, and ensure our Submarine Force can project power and defend our nation’s interests in any environment, at any time.”
The operation is led by the U.S. Navy’s Arctic Submarine Laboratory, a detachment of the Undersea Warfighting Development Center that specializes in Arctic operations. The laboratory works as the submarine force’s center of expertise for navigating and operating beneath polar ice.
At the center of the operation is Ice Camp Boarfish, a temporary base built directly on a drifting ice floe in the Arctic Ocean. The camp serves as a command center for research and operational testing and includes shelters, communications infrastructure, and facilities designed to support multinational teams working in the harsh polar environment.
Capt. David Nichols, who is overseeing the tactical control of the operation, said establishing and maintaining the camp requires extensive coordination and preparation.
“The complexity of establishing a fully functional base on a moving sheet of ice cannot be overstated,” Nichols said. “The professionalism and dedication of every service member and civilian here is what makes this vital mission possible.”
The operation’s name honors the World War II-era submarine USS Boarfish (SS‑327), which conducted early Arctic exploration missions. In 1947, the vessel served as the flagship for Operation Blue Nose, the first exploration beneath the polar ice cap that demonstrated the feasibility of extended under-ice submarine navigation.
Submarine operations beneath the Arctic ice date back more than six decades. The historic missions include the 1958 polar transit by USS Nautilus (SSN‑571) and the 1959 Arctic surfacing by USS Skate (SSN‑578) at the North Pole. Since those early voyages, the U.S. Submarine Force has conducted nearly one hundred similar operations beneath the ice.
With global interest in the Arctic increasing due to diminishing sea ice, potential shipping routes, and natural resources, the U.S. Navy says exercises like ICE CAMP are essential for maintaining readiness and ensuring forces can operate effectively in the region.
The dramatic surfacing of USS Delaware through the ice serves as a reminder of the unique capabilities of modern submarines and the continued strategic importance of the Arctic in global security planning.