There are no interagency agreements covering icebreaking. Agree- 

 ments are implicit in Navy-Coast Guard correspondence on Arctic and 

 Antarctic operations. 



There is a working agreement betAveen the United States and Cana- 

 dian Government department for operation of the Joint Arctic 

 Weather Stations. This calls for the "usual icebreaker support." 

 The U.S. Air Force is coordinator. 



Mission Assignments 



Oceanography — Almost all polar oceanography has been done by 

 the WIND class [Navy and Coast Guard] icebreakers. Recent ad- 

 ditional sources have been from under-ice submarines and ice island 

 stations, but this has been relatively minor compared to the ice- 

 breakers. 



Logistics Support — Without the icebreakers and their Canadian 

 counterparts, the North American Arctic bases could not have been 

 built or maintained. The same is true of U.S. Antarctic bases. 



Other Uses — In LORAN-C development the icebreakers have been 

 vital for site surveys, construction, and system calibration (especially 

 the latter). Coast Guard icebreakers maintain navigation on the 

 Hudson River during heavy ice blockages. The Northioind is em- 

 ployed along the north Alaska coast for native health care, icebreak- 

 ing, law enforcement, marine safety, mail delivery, fisheries, patrol, 

 and other State and Federal cooperative missions. 



The Navy-Coast Guard icebreaking partnership has evolved such a 

 high degree of cooperation that both Services defend the dual au- 

 thority and responsibility. 



As with most other missions, the requirements for icebreaking are 

 increasing. The opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway and Alaska 

 statehood have stimulated maritime commerce in both areas, bringing 

 the demand for more icebreaking to extend the navigation season. 



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