U.S. Navy Attack Submarines Conduct Multinational Under-Ice Exercise in Arctic.

The U.S. Navy launched Operation ICE CAMP Boarfish on March 7, 2026, in the Arctic Ocean, deploying the fast attack submarines USS Delaware and USS Santa Fe beneath drifting polar ice while establishing a temporary ice-floe operations base. The exercise strengthens U.S. and allied readiness for submarine operations in the rapidly evolving Arctic theater, where extreme conditions and strategic competition are increasing.

The United States Navy began Operation ICE CAMP Boarfish in the Arctic Ocean on March 7, 2026, sending the fast attack submarines USS Delaware (SSN-791) and USS Santa Fe (SSN-763) beneath drifting polar ice while establishing a temporary operations base on a floating ice floe. Operating from the remote installation known as Ice Camp Boarfish, the three-week mission brings together U.S. naval crews, scientific specialists, and allied observers to test under-ice navigation, evaluate submarine performance in sub-zero Arctic conditions, and rehearse the logistics required for sustained submarine activity in a harsh polar environment where shifting sea ice, extreme cold, and limited infrastructure shape military operations. Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Delaware (SSN-791) surfaces through Arctic ice during Operation ICE CAMP 2026 on March 7. (Picture source: US DoD)

The camp itself functions as the command node for the deployment. Constructed directly on a moving sheet of sea ice, the installation includes insulated shelters, communications facilities, and a central command post able to coordinate submarine surfacing operations through the ice. Such bases must be assembled rapidly and maintained despite shifting ice pressure, low visibility, and temperatures that regularly fall far below freezing. Personnel from the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, and the Air National Guard participate in the operation alongside observers and specialists from the Royal Australian Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force, the French Navy, the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, the Norwegian Defence Research Institute, and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology.Vice Adm. Richard Seif, Commander of Submarine Forces, explains in a statement released by the U.S. Navy on 7 March 2026 that the operation allows the submarine force to maintain a credible presence in the Arctic while strengthening interoperability with allied partners that increasingly view the region as a strategic maritime space.

The submarines deployed for the exercise represent two generations of American nuclear-powered attack submarines. USS Delaware belongs to the Virginia-class nuclear-powered fast attack submarine program. Designed for multi-mission undersea warfare, the class integrates the AN/BQQ-10 sonar suite, which combines a spherical bow array with flank arrays and advanced signal processing to detect and classify contacts in complex acoustic environments. Virginia-class submarines are also equipped with two large Virginia Payload Tubes capable of launching Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles (TLAM) or other payloads, extending the platform’s strike capacity beyond the traditional torpedo armament.

USS Santa Fe is a Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, a design that formed the backbone of U.S. undersea forces for several decades. These submarines displace roughly 6,900 tons submerged and are powered by a pressurized-water nuclear reactor driving a single propeller shaft, enabling sustained underwater speeds above 25 knots. Their primary armament includes Mk 48 Advanced Capability heavyweight torpedoes, designed for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare engagements at ranges exceeding 50 kilometers, supported by a combination of bow sonar arrays and towed acoustic sensors that improve detection performance in deep and shallow waters.

Operating beneath Arctic ice introduces constraints that differ sharply from conventional submarine patrols. Thick ice cover prevents emergency surfacing at random points and requires precise navigation to locate thinner ice sections or pre-surveyed openings. Crews rely on upward-looking sonar systems to measure ice thickness and identify safe surfacing points, while inertial navigation systems maintain accurate positioning without access to satellite signals. Exercises conducted during ICE CAMP therefore, include controlled surfacing through ice, acoustic tracking drills, and coordination with surface teams positioned at the camp itself.

Such training directly affects tactical readiness. Submarines operating under ice can exploit concealment offered by complex acoustic conditions and the limited presence of surface sensors in polar waters. Under-ice routes also provide discreet avenues of approach between the Atlantic and Pacific basins. Practicing coordinated operations from an ice camp allows crews to rehearse data exchange, acoustic surveillance, and emergency procedures while maintaining communication links with command authorities and supporting aircraft. In practical terms, these evolutions refine the ability of the submarine force to conduct surveillance, anti-submarine warfare patrols, or precision strike missions while remaining difficult to detect.

The exercise also supports scientific observation. The Arctic Submarine Laboratory and participating research organizations collect environmental data during each ICE CAMP deployment, examining sea ice thickness, ocean temperature profiles, and acoustic propagation conditions. The U.S. Navy notes that long-term reductions in Arctic sea ice may gradually increase shipping routes across the polar region and open additional areas to commercial activity, including resource exploration.

This evolving environment explains why ICE CAMP Boarfish has recently been elevated from a periodic exercise to a formal naval operation. The mission also carries historical symbolism. The camp takes its name from USS Boarfish (SS-327), a Balao-class submarine commissioned in 1944 that participated in early postwar experiments exploring navigation beneath the polar ice cap. Since the pioneering voyages of USS Nautilus (SSN-571) in 1958 and USS Skate (SSN-578) in 1959, American submarines have repeatedly demonstrated their capacity to operate under Arctic ice.

The return of large-scale submarine activity in the Arctic also reflects the region’s growing strategic weight in global security calculations. As polar ice gradually recedes, new maritime routes such as the Northern Sea Route and potential trans-Arctic shipping corridors are attracting increasing attention from both commercial actors and military planners. For Washington, maintaining a credible undersea presence in this environment serves several purposes. It preserves freedom of maneuver in a maritime space that connects the Atlantic and Pacific theaters, while ensuring that U.S. and allied forces remain capable of monitoring Russian Northern Fleet operations and protecting emerging sea lines of communication. Russia continues to expand its Arctic military infrastructure, including air bases, radar networks, and submarine bastions along its northern coastline, while China is simultaneously investing in polar research and long-term access to Arctic maritime routes. In this evolving landscape, exercises such as ICE CAMP Boarfish demonstrate that the United States and its partners intend to retain operational access to the polar domain and sustain a level of deterrence that limits the risk of unilateral control over this increasingly contested strategic frontier.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay is a graduate of a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience in the study of conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.