2009 Biennial (PDF, 12 MB) - Applied Physics Laboratory-University ...

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The U.S. Navy’s under-ice exercises with two submarines at the station were designed
to evaluate and improve torpedoes, their detection capabilities, and their ability to
discriminate targets in an ice-covered sea. These torpedoes are not armed but instead
gather data until they run out of fuel and then float up under the ice cap. After a shot,
the approximate resting location relative to camp was determined acoustically using
the APL-UW tracking range and converted to GPS coordinates. A search team was then
flown by helicopter to those coordinates.
“
A very challenging recovery today in every aspect: search, melt,
and dive. The torpedo was found far from camp in a rubble field with a lot of
rafted ice. It took three attempts to auger a starting hole for the dive and
recovery holes. Ice thickness was 8–9 feet. The dive hole was clear but the
recovery hole had a large sheet of rafted ice about three feet underneath, so
the divers switched. The divers had to do some crawling through rafted ice
to get to the hole, but once in, they maneuvered the torpedo to the recovery
hole after applying many counterweights to overcome the torpedo’s
buoyancy.”
– Monday, 23 March 2009
With the torpedo found, a team was sent with a diesel-fired melting system to make
two 3-foot diameter holes in the ice, one for divers and one for the torpedo recovery.
After the holes were melted, divers entered the water to move the torpedo to the
recovery hole and rig it for lifting by helicopter. The APL-UW dive team readied a
torpedo for lifting in fifteen minutes or less once they hit the water.
Sixteen torpedo recoveries were performed over ten days. Recovery times varied
from two hours to one full day depending on ice conditions. Due to the exemplary
performance of the APL-UW team and cooperative weather, the project was completed
five days ahead of schedule.
APLIS 2009 was a significant training year for new APL-UW personnel who will be
responsible for future stations. New team members were able to cross-train during
the complete planning and operation cycle with veteran personnel who have been
involved with ice stations for over three decades.
Team members: Paul Aguilar, Eric Boget, Adam Huxtable, Frederick Karig, Michael
Kenney, Sean Lastuka, Trina Litchendorf, Keith Magness, Timothy McGinnis, Nicholas
Michel-Hart, Francis Olson, Peter Sabin, Troy Swanson, Keith Van Thiel, and Timothy Wen
Sponsor: U.S. Navy and Arctic Submarine Laboratory
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