Coast Guard Cutter Healy Returns to Seattle After 129-day Arctic Deployment
The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy recently completed her annual missions to the Arctic. The vessel returned to Seattle, Washington, on October 26, following a 129-day patrol.
Healy, one of three Coast Guard polar icebreakers, steamed over 20,000 miles this deployment. She departed her homeport of Seattle on June 19 and, during her mission, was used to support Operation Arctic West Summer and Operation Frontier Sentinel as part of the USCG presence in the region.
“Healy’s unique and specialized capabilities allow us to operate in the most remote regions, conducting the highest priority missions of the Coast Guard,” said Capt. Kristen Serumgard, commanding officer of Healy. “Healy’s dynamic crew of active duty and civilian personnel showcased tremendous adaptability, dedication and resilience, steaming over 20,000 miles through ice-covered waters to complete the mission.”
As a part of Operation Frontier Sentinel, Healy queried and monitored three foreign research vessels operating in ice-covered waters over the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf and U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. A total of five China-affiliated research vessels were operating in the Arctic region over the summer, and Healy was one of several Coast Guard assets deployed to monitor activity in the region. The Coast Guard works in conjunction with U.S. Northern Command and Alaskan Command to constantly monitor foreign vessels operating in and near U.S. waters.
Healy’s crew also supported two missions involving the deployment and recovery of subsurface oceanographic equipment throughout the U.S. Arctic, East Siberian Sea, and Laptev Sea. This work was performed in conjunction with the Office of Naval Research, the National Science Foundation, and other partner agencies. USCG reports that the data collected will help build a more cohesive picture of the physical, biological, and chemical properties of the Arctic Ocean, improving maritime domain awareness north of the Arctic Circle.
As part of the Coast Guard’s Arctic District’s multi-faceted response to a series of devastating storms that struck Western Alaska communities, Healy also diverted to the affected region. She supported search and rescue and disaster relief efforts.
Commissioned in 1999, Healy is the largest cutter in the U.S. Coast Guard at 420 feet in length and 16,000 tons. Healy is designed to break 4.5 feet of ice continuously at three knots and can operate in temperatures as low as -50 degrees Fahrenheit, enabling year-round access to the Arctic Ocean.
With Polar Star and the recent addition of Storis, Healy makes up the U.S. current polar icebreaker fleet. Construction is underway on the long-delayed new icebreaker Polar Sentinel, now expected for delivery in 2030, and the U.S. recently announced a new program with Finland to build up to 11 icebreakers at a projected cost of $6 billion. The program calls for expediting the construction using Finland’s capabilities so that the first new vessels will be delivered in 2028.