Navy
Submarine Breaks The Ice
The US Navy has released a video showing the moment a submarine emerged from beneath the ice of the Arctic Circle.
The USS Hartford broke through as part of Ice Exercise 2016.
Picture: US Navy
The Navy said the exercise - dubbed ICEX - would last five weeks and is "designed to research, test, and evaluate operational capabilities in the region".
More than 200 personnel from four nations are part of the research.
Picture: US Navy
The commander leading the exercise, Vice Adm. Joseph E. Tofalo, told CNN:
"The Arctic environment plays a key role in national defence. With over a thousand miles of Arctic coastline, the US has strong national security and homeland defence interests in the region."
American submarines have conducted under-ice operations in the Arctic region for more than 50 years.
The USS Skate was the first US submarine to surface through Arctic ice at the North Pole in 1959.
In 2004, the USS Hampton and the Royal Navy submarine HMS Tireless were around half a mile from each other when they performed the manoeuvre at the North Pole.
HMS Tireless. Picture: US Navy/Kevin Elliott
When the crews met they had hoped to play a game of football but the game was called off due to the weather.
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