primary means of detecting icebergs that 

 form the limit of all known ice (LAKI). 

 When iceberg reconnaissance is not being 

 conducted. IIP relies on computer 

 modeling of the iceberg drift and 

 deterioration to determine iceberg position 

 and size updates. The computer model 

 ingests ice observations, environmental 

 data, and ocean current data to predict 

 iceberg drift and deterioration. The LAKI is 

 based on the model output. 



The Ice Reconnaissance 



Detachment (IRD) is a sub-unit under 

 Commander, International Ice Patrol with 

 Commanding Officer, Coast Guard Air 

 Station Elizabeth City providing the aircraft 

 platform. The IRD is deployed to observe 

 and report the ice and oceanographic 

 conditions in the vicinity of the Grand 

 Banks of Newfoundland. Commander, 

 International Ice Patrol, disseminates this 

 ice information to shipping as per Title 46, 

 use Section 738a and the Convention on 

 the Safety of Life at Sea. Oceanographic 

 observations are used for operational and 

 research purposes at IIP. 



spacing compared to a 10 nautical mile 

 track spacing that was used prior to 

 1983. The HC-130H with SLAR and 

 FLAR is able to cover a larger 

 geographic area of ocean and still 

 provide 200% RADAR coverage and 30 

 nm track spacing (Figure 7). The 30 nm 

 track spacing allows IIP to cover 

 approximately 400,000 nm^ of ocean in 

 good or poor visibility conditions as 

 opposed to approximately 20,000 nm^ 

 with a 10 nm track spacing in only good 

 visibility conditions. A more detailed 

 description of IIP reconnaissance 

 procedures is provided on Ice Patrol's 

 web page: http://www.uscg.mil/lantarea/ 

 iip/home.html. 



During 1999, 49 aircraft sorties 

 were flown in support of IIP. Of these, 

 16 were transit flights to St John's, 

 Newfoundland, HP's base of operations. 

 There were 29 ice observation or patrol 

 sorties conducted to locate the south- 

 western, southern and southeastern 

 limits of icebergs. Four logistics flights 



Environmental conditions are 

 favorable for visual reconnaissance in the 

 vicinity of the Grand Banks approximately 

 20-30% of the time during ice 

 reconnaissance operations in the spring 

 and early summer. Therefore, Ice Patrol 

 relies heavily on its two airborne RADAR 

 systems to detect and identify icebergs 

 through fog and cloudy conditions. 



The ability of the FLAR and SLAR 

 RADAR combination on the HC-130H to 

 detect and differentiate icebergs in the 

 pervasive low visibility reconnaissance 

 conditions allows IIP to minimize the 

 number of flight hours required to 

 adequately survey the ice limit. IIP has 

 used the SLAR since 1983 and the FLAR 

 since 1993. This RADAR combination also 

 allows IIP to use a 30 nautical mile track 



1999 Flight Hours 



Figure 8. 1 999 flight hour usage. 



were required to support and maintain 

 the patrol aircraft operational status. 

 Figure 8 shows IIP flight-hour usage for 

 1999. Ice Patrol typically schedules 

 aerial reconnaissance every other week, 

 however the lack of iceberg threat 

 resulted in several scheduled 

 deployments being cancelled. 



12 



