U. S. Coast Guard to Rescue Trapped Icebreakers

[R80RS]

At the request of the Australian Government, the USCG has dispatched its only heavy polar icebreaker to free the Russian and Chinese icebreakers trapped in Antarctica.


http://www.stripes.com/news/coast-guard/...-ships-1.260584

 

[JavierG]

USA! USA!

 

[Astro14]

Good thing it's a warm winter here and we don't need our own icebreaker...

 

[DoiInthanon]

Eternal Father, Strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bid'st the mighty Ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
O hear us when we cry to thee,
for those in peril on the sea.

from The Navy Hymn. At sea, we are not Russian, Chinese, Australian, or Canadian. We are sailors. Thank goodness for the Coast Guard.

 

[R80RS]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
Good thing it's a warm winter here and we don't need our own icebreaker...

The Polar Star had been in Sydney on a scheduled resupply mission to an Antarctic research facility when the rescue mission was requested.

 

[Astro14]

That extra information makes the whole situation more understandable...

 

[JHZR2]

Neat. Wonder why that ship uses Pratt GTMs as opposed to the ubiquitous LM2500.

 

[jimbrewer]

That's just what sailors do. Besides, the US Coast Guard would be the seventh largest navy in the world all by itself. We have the resources. Plus, when you get right down to it, Australia is our most loyal ally. They agree with us even when they don't. I hope we would gladly do what they ask without hesitation.

 

[Donald]

We don't have any laser weapons in the sky that can cut a hole through the ice?

 

[hattaresguy]

This situation is turning into a bit of a mess, hopefully they can get those ships out.

I imagine their are only a handful of icebreakers that size in the world.

 

[mikered30]

10 feet of ice? Crazy

 

[bigjl]

Originally Posted By: jimbrewer
That's just what sailors do. Besides, the US Coast Guard would be the seventh largest navy in the world all by itself. We have the resources. Plus, when you get right down to it, Australia is our most loyal ally. They agree with us even when they don't. I hope we would gladly do what they ask without hesitation.


Thanks for that comment.

After all British Forces haven't lost hundreds of brave service personnel following anybody other than the US into Iraq and Afghanistan.

And if we had decided not to assist then it is highly likely that the 7/7 attackes would not have occurred and Drummer Lee Rigby would not have been murdered in cold blood outside Woolwich Barracks by to terrorists.

 

[JHZR2]

The Russian ship isn't an icebreaker. Don't they have one that is nuke powered and double the tonnage? I don't have an issue going to assist in this case (unless ours gets stuck too), but theirs would fit the bill, no?

Wonder if ours will run a specialty blend of JP-5 when in those conditions.

 

[R80RS]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
The Russian ship isn't an icebreaker. Don't they have one that is nuke powered and double the tonnage? I don't have an issue going to assist in this case (unless ours gets stuck too), but theirs would fit the bill, no?

Wonder if ours will run a specialty blend of JP-5 when in those conditions.


Russian Arktika class nuclear icebreakers cannot operate outside of cold water environments because the reactor design they have requires very cold water for cooling. Consequently they could not traverse the tropics under their own power. They are effectively confined to the arctic region where they are presently located.

 

[hattaresguy]

I was going to say their Russian so probably broke right now.