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New Hampshire Continues ICEX 2011

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS110322-23
3/22/2011

By Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic Public Affairs

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- The Virginia-class submarine USS New Hampshire (SSN 778) is currently conducting exercises in the challenging Arctic region while participating in ICE Exercise (ICEX) 2011. The submarine left its homeport in Groton, Conn., March 10.

ICEX is the long-standing program by which the Submarine Force develops and hones its Arctic operational and war fighting skills in order to meet these challenges. The primary purpose of ICEX is to improve submarine Arctic operability and warfighting. Though ICEX is not an environmental endeavor, the US Navy has a program to collect environmental data incidental to the technical/tactical testing and provide it to the scientific community.

U.S. submarines have conducted under-ice operations in the Arctic regions in support of inter-fleet transit, training, cooperative allied engagements and operations for more than 50 years. USS Nautilus (SSN 571) made the first transit in 1958. USS Skate (SSN 578) was the first U.S. submarine to surface through arctic ice at the North Pole in March, 1959. Since those events, the U.S. Submarine Force has completed more than 25 Arctic exercises, including three in conjunction with Allied submarines.

As the Arctic Ocean continues to serve as a route for submarines to transit between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, U.S. submarines must continue to train in the Arctic environment to refine and validate procedures and required equipment. The U.S. Submarine Force conducts these exercises in the Arctic in order to assure continued access to this unique region. All U.S. submarines deploying to the Arctic are equipped with sensors and equipment that allow them to operate safely under the ice.

Recently, while operating in the Arctic region, the New Hampshire's oxygen generator, which is used to make breathable oxygen, failed. A repair technician from the oxygen generator's manufacturer is scheduled to travel to the ice camp this week to provide repair parts and technical assistance to repair the system. This is the same approach the submarine force utilizes to repair many other systems. New Hampshire will continue its mission at ICEX.

As another normal means of producing oxygen, all U.S. submarines are outfitted with sodium chlorate candles that, when burned, produce oxygen. When New Hampshire's oxygen generator failed, the ship's crew used these candles as an alternate means to produce oxygen. The use of oxygen candles is routinely carried out aboard submarines for training and, if necessary, during periods of corrective or preventive maintenance on the oxygen generator.

The candles used aboard New Hampshire have a 50-year track record for safety. A recently published news article incorrectly implied that the candles are identical to those used by the Royal Navy. While operating in the Arctic in 2007, the British submarine HMS Tireless suffered an accident with its emergency oxygen producing system which claimed the lives of two British Sailors.

While both the Royal Navy and U. S. Navy submarines use sodium chlorate candles to produce oxygen, they are not identical. Aboard U.S. submarines, candles are burned in a specially designed furnace only after being removed from the shipping container and inspected by the ship's crew to ensure that they are in proper working order. At the time of the accident the Royal Navy utilized a system called the Self Contained Oxygen Generator, and burned the candles within the shipping container, not a furnace. Since then the Royal Navy has implemented a significant improvement program and now utilizes an Emergency Oxygen Generator system.

After the Royal Navy accident, the U.S. Navy conducted extensive testing to confirm the safety of the U.S. system and determined that if a similar incident occurred on an American submarine, the furnace would safely vent the resultant energy.

The New Hampshire employment of the oxygen generator system is safe, and the load-out of sodium chlorate candles prior to departing its homeport of Groton, Conn., was consistent with the submarine's mission.