The US Navy attack submarine USS Annapolis (SSN 760) rests in the Arctic Ocean after surfacing through three feet of ice during Ice Exercise 2009 on March 21, 2009. The two-week training exercise, which is used to test submarine operability and war-fighting capability in Arctic conditions, also involved the USS Helena (SSN 725), the University of Washington and personnel from the Navy Arctic Submarine Laboratory.
The USS Annapolis has a length of 110.34m (363 ft) and a beam of 10.06m (33ft). It is powered by a nuclear reactor and has a speed of 25+ knots (46km/h, 29mph). The ship has a complement of 12 officers and 115 men.
They use under-ice sonar to determine how thick the ice is. The tower is designed to break through up to six feet of ice. Once they find a good spot, they submerge a bit, and then do a controlled, but strong blow to the ballast tanks to surface the ship quickly and bust the ice.
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