Monthly Archives: May 2021

Missiles & Guided Weapons, Rocket

MMP from a Jaguar

On 14 April, MBDA and Nexter participated in the first lock-on firing of an MMP medium-range missile from a Jaguar armoured reconnaissance and combat vehicle (EBRC). The French defence procurement agency (DGA) carried out the firing at their Land Techniques Test Centre as part of the JAGUAR qualification. Launched from the retractable pod on the Jaguar’s turret in two-missile configuration, the MMP successfully hit its target.

MMP
First firing of MMP from a Jaguar armoured vehicle

 

The integration of MMP onto JAGUAR is being carried out in stages during qualification. This firing is the first stage, successfully demonstrating hitting a fixed target. The system will offer the capability to destroy fixed or mobile hardened land targets, including up to the latest generation of tanks. Targeting will be direct or beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS). It will also be precise and with minimal collateral damage, qualities that characterise the MMP.

MMP’s capabilities – integrated into the Jaguar’s turret by Nexter, alongside the remote controlled weapon station developed by Arquus, the Scorpion common vetronics solution developed by Thales and the 40mm cannon developed by CTAI – gives the Jaguar a key role in collaborative combat.

During this demonstration, the Optrolead PASEO battlefield surveillance sight interfaced with the missile system, offering real-time optronic acquisition by day and by night. This gives the Jaguar excellent long-range observation and identification capabilities.

Frédéric Michaud, Head of Battlefield Sector for Sales & Business Development at MBDA, said: «This firing marks an important first step of the work conducted with Nexter to develop the Jaguar turret and integrate the MMP into a weapon system built on the latest technological solutions. This two-missile turret configuration considerably expands the vehicle’s firepower».

David Marquette, Jaguar project manager at Nexter, hailed the exceptional work of the programme team on this critically important system integration project: «This marks a major milestone, demonstrating the technical skills of our teams in designing and developing an operational capability unlike any other in the world».

Air, Fighters, Missiles & Guided Weapons, Rocket

Flight Test Shots

The Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) joint program office completed the second live fire test of the new AIM‑120D-3 missile variant, incorporating upgraded hardware into the guidance section on May 12.

AIM‑120D-3
AMRAAM Completes Two Free Flight Test Shots

The weapon safely launched from an F/A-18F Super Hornet and flew the expected flight path over the Point Mugu Sea Test Range in California. Preliminary analysis provided by the prime contractor, Raytheon Missiles & Defense, indicates all primary and secondary objectives of the shot were met.

«Completing the first two free flight shots of upgraded hardware and software is a significant milestone in the integration and test phase of the new AIM-120D-3 missile», said Colonel Sean Bradley, AMRAAM Senior Materiel Leader at the U.S. Air Force’s Armament Directorate. «These successes are important to the overall execution of the Form, Fit, Function Refresh (F3R) program; a program implemented to address an increasing number of production challenges due to obsolescence of various electronic components within the AIM-120».

Combined with software upgrades, AIM-120D-3 will deliver advanced capabilities to improve missile effectiveness against advanced threats for Air Force, Navy, and Allied Partners. This missile shot from an F/A-18F Super Hornet tested the missile’s safe separation autopilot and free-flight navigation capabilities.

Together, with the first shot on December 9, 2020, these shots represent a critical first in a series of developmental flight tests that provides crucial data to assess the missile’s ability to acquire, track and guide to targets.

AMRAAM is the world’s most sophisticated, combat-proven air dominance weapon. With AIM-120D-3 production deliveries beginning in 2023, the AIM-120 missile will continue to meet warfighter requirements in all weather and beyond visual range engagements. Its capabilities have been fully demonstrated in over 4,900 test shots and more than 13 air-to-air combat victories.

Ground Forces

Flight Test

Lockheed Martin’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) successfully completed its fourth consecutive flight test with the U.S. Army on May 12, 2021 in a 400-kilometer/259-mile demonstration at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.

PrSM
The next-generation long-range Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) launches from a HIMARS in its first test demonstration in December 2019 (Photo Courtesy: U.S. Army)

The PrSM was fired from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher and flew with expected precision to the target area where it once again demonstrated a highly accurate and effective warhead event.

Test objectives included confirming flight trajectory, range and accuracy from launch to impact, as well as warhead lethality, HIMARS integration and overall missile performance.

«PrSM accomplished all of the Army’s test objectives again today in its longest flight yet», said Gaylia Campbell, vice president of Precision Fires at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. «The missile’s impressive performance to date reflects the dedication of the joint-industry PrSM team to advance this capability with speed, efficiency and precision».

The 400-kilometer/259-mile flight is the first of three demonstrations that will take place this year as part of the Enhanced Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction (ETMRR) phase of the development program. This series of flight tests follows three successful TMRR demonstrations culminating last spring. Additional ETMRR flights are slated for the second half of 2021 and will include a maximum range flight test and participation in the U.S. Army’s Project Convergence this fall.

Lockheed Martin continues to successfully validate the design and performance of the baseline tactical missile and is working with the Army on Engineering Design Testing, production readiness and fielding requirements to support multi-domain operations and future needs of the soldier.

The next-generation precision-strike, surface-to-surface weapon system will deliver enhanced capabilities for attacking, neutralizing, suppressing and destroying targets at depth on the battlefield. It further provides field artillery units a new long-range capability while supporting brigade, division, corps, Army, theater, Joint and Coalition forces.

For more than 40 years, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control has been the leading designer and manufacturer of long-range, surface-to-surface precision strike solutions providing highly reliable, combat-proven systems like Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), HIMARS, Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and Guided MLRS to domestic and international customers.

Navy

National Security Cutter

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division announced on May 11, 2021 the start of fabrication of Legend-class National Security Cutter (NSC) USCGC Friedman (WMSL-760). The start of fabrication signifies the first 100 tons of steel have been cut.

USCGC Friedman (WMSL-760)
Ingalls shipbuilder Jason Jackson starts fabrication of steel for the newest Legend-class national security cutter USCGC Friedman (NSC-11). Also pictured, from left, are Commander Christopher Lavin, acting commanding officer, PRO Gulf Coast; Amanda Whitaker, Ingalls NSC ship integration manager; and Dianna Genton and Braxton Collins, Ingalls hull superintendents (Photo by Derek Fountain/HII)

«Our workforce has invested more than a decade of effort, creativity and resolve to make the Legend-class national security cutter production line incredibly efficient and strong», Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said. «We are pleased to achieve this milestone and will continue to look for any additional opportunity in our processes and approaches to provide the most affordable and capable ships to our customers».

NSC-11 is named to honor Elizebeth Smith Friedman. Friedman was a code breaker during the Prohibition Era who, as a civilian, intercepted and solved coded messages from racketeers and gangs and delivered them to the Coast Guard. During World War II, she worked against German espionage communications and developed information that was critical to counterintelligence work in the Southern Hemisphere. Friedman’s work resulted in hundreds of criminal prosecutions, saved thousands of lives and laid the groundwork for the science of cryptology and the establishment of the modern day National Security Agency.

The Legend-class NSC is the most technologically advanced ship in the Coast Guard’s fleet, which enables it to meet the high demands required for maritime and homeland security, law enforcement, marine safety, environmental protection and national defense missions. NSCs are 418 feet/127 m long with a top speed of 28 knots/32 mph/52 km/h, a range of 12,000 NM/13,809 miles/22,224 km, an endurance of 60 days and a crew of 120.

 

Facts

Displacement 4,500 long tons
Length 418 feet/127 m
Beam 54 feet/16 m
Speed 28 knots/32 mph/52 km/h
Range 12,000 NM/13,809 miles/22,224 km
Endurance 60 days
Crew 120
Equipped with Mk-110 57-mm turret mounted gun
6 × 12.7-mm/.50 caliber machine guns
3D air search radar
2 level 1, class 1 aircraft hangers
A stern launch ramp for mission boats
Aviation carried (2) MCH, or (4) Vertical-Launch Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (VUAV) or (1) MCH and (2) VUAV
Stern launch Two cutter boats (Long Range Interceptor and/or Short Range Prosecutor)
Electronic Warfare and Decoys AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare System, Two Super Rapid Bloom Offboard Countermeasures (SRBOC)/2 NULKA countermeasures chaff rapid decoy launcher
Communications HF, VHF & UHF
Sensors and Processing Systems X and S band radar, 3D air search radar, AN/SPQ-9 radar, Identification, Friend or Foe (IFF)

 

Ship list

Ship Hull Number Laid down Launched Commissioned
Bertholf WMSL-750 03-29-2005 09-29-2006 08-04-2008
Waesche WMSL-751 09-11-2006 07-12-2008 05-07-2010
Stratton WMSL-752 07-20-2009 07-23-2010 03-31-2012
Hamilton WMSL-753 09-05-2012 08-10-2013 12-06-2014
James WMSL-754 05-17-2013 05-03-2014 08-08-2015
Munro WMSL-755 10-07-2013 09-12-2015 04-01-2017
Kimball WMSL-756 03-04-2016 12-17-2016 08-24-2019
Midgett WMSL-757 01-27-2017 11-22-2017 08-24-2019
Stone WMSL-758 09-14-2018 10-04-2019 03-19-2021
Calhoun WMSL-759
Friedman WMSL-760

 

Navy

Patrol Vessel 87

The third of the four Offshore Patrol Vessel 87 (OPV 87) ordered to Naval Group by Argentina has been launched at Concarneau shipyard (Brittany).

ARA Storni (P-53)
Naval Group launches A.R.A. Storni (P-53), the third Argentine Offshore Patrol Vessel

After the recent delivery of A.R.A. Piedrabuena (P-52), the third OPV A.R.A. Storni (P-53) was launched on Monday May 10th. The ship, which was partly built in Lanester by Kership Lorient and assembled in Concarneau by Piriou Shipyards, was launched yesterday.

This delivery is part of the contract signed by Naval Group with Argentina in 2018 to provide four multi-mission offshore patrol vessels. A.R.A. Bouchard (P-51) (ex-L’Adroit) had been delivered in December 2019, two months ahead of schedule, and A.R.A. Piedrabuena (P-52), the first of the three newly-built patrol vessels, was delivered on April 13, 2021.

The third vessel of the series will offer the same assets and characteristics as the A.R.A. Piedrabuena (P-52). Better armed than the A.R.A. Bouchard (P-51), more motorized, equipped with an active stabilization system and a bow thruster, it is also «Ice proven», i.e., adapted to navigation in the cold waters of Antarctica.

Jean-Claude Flandrin, Program Director, said: «The program continues to progress at a very steady pace, with the delivery on time of a vessel every six months, despite the global sanitary situation. The delivery of the A.R.A. Storni (P-53) should take place in October this year, in line with the contract schedule».

«We are proud of the trust that the Argentine Navy has placed in Naval Group for the supply of these latest-generation multipurpose vessels that will enable the country to carry out its sovereign missions. Their timely delivery despite the sanitary context demonstrates the Group’s commitment to its Client», added Olivier Michel, Sales Director for Latin America.

 

OPV 87, an innovative vessel

The Argentinean Offshore Patrol Vessels benefit from innovations developed by Naval Group and sea proven by the French Navy, which has operated L’Adroit in several oceans for six years for multiple maritime security operations, either alone or in cooperation with other Navies:

  • Very high endurance and excellent sea-worthiness;
  • A 360° visibility from the bridge and a unique mast for a panoramic radar coverage;
  • The discrete and safe implementation in less than five minutes of fast crafts for Special Forces thanks to an ingenious ramp system at the bow of the patroller.

This range of ships also benefits from Naval Group’s expertise in information and command systems, allowing for extensive surveillance of the maritime space and the detection of suspicious behaviours. The A.R.A. Storni (P-53) is equipped with the Polaris system and NiDL tactical data link system, specifically developed by Naval Group for state missions at sea and sea-proven by the French Navy.

 

Technical features

The Offshore Patrol Vessel is able to stay on deep seas during more than three weeks, to reach a speed of 20 knots/23 mph/37 km/h and to accommodate a helicopter. Implemented by a reduced crew of 40 members, it is also able to accommodate about twenty extra passengers.

 

Characteristics

Length 87 meters/285.4 feet
Beam 14 meters/45.9 feet
Displacement 1,650 tons
Maximum speed over 20 knots/23 mph/37 km/h
Accommodation 59 (crew and passengers)
Endurance > 7,000 nautical miles/8,055 miles/12,964 km
Boarding capacity two light crafts of 9 meters/29.5 feet and one 10-ton class helicopter

 

Ground Forces

Canadian-designed LAV

General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada today held a virtual ceremony that celebrated the «roll-out» of the Armoured Combat Support Vehicle (ACSV) program’s first vehicle variant – a Troop Cargo Vehicle (TCV) manufactured for the Canadian Army.

LAV 6.0 ACSV
Defence Minister Sajjan Attends Virtual ACSV Vehicle Roll-out Ceremony

«We are honoured to have Defence Minister Sajjan with us today, virtually, as we showcase the first of eight ACSV variants, the Troop Cargo Vehicle», said Jason Monahan, Vice President and General Manager of General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada. «Light Armoured Vehicles have protected Canada’s soldiers on missions abroad for over 40 years, and it is a privilege to continue this tradition with the roll-out of this first ACSV variant».

In August 2019, the Government of Canada awarded General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada a contract to design and produce 360 Armoured Combat Support Vehicles for the Canadian Army. Since then, General Dynamics’ ACSV team has been working to meet tight design and production deadlines, against a backdrop of challenges that comes with manufacturing safely in a global pandemic.

Armoured Combat Support Vehicles are an extension of the existing Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) 6.0 family of vehicles in service with the Canadian Army. The Canadian-designed and Canadian-manufactured LAV 6.0 ACSV variants have a common baseline chassis with the Canadian Army’s in-service LAV 6.0 fleet and reflect the protection and mobility needed to successfully conduct operations in a high-threat environment. The ACSV contract provides for eight additional variants of the LAV 6.0 family of vehicles, including ambulances, command posts, maintenance and recovery vehicles, fitters and troop-carrying vehicles. Having a fleet of LAVs of a common baseline configuration reduces training and long-term maintenance costs.

Air, Air Force, Unmanned Systems

Skyborg Vanguard

The Skyborg leadership team conducted a two-hours and ten-minute flight test April 29 of the Skyborg Autonomy Core System (ACS) aboard a Kratos UTAP-22 tactical unmanned vehicle at Tyndall Air Force Base (AFB), Florida.

Kratos UTAP-22
The Skyborg autonomy core system launches aboard a Kratos UTAP-22 tactical unmanned vehicle at Tyndall AFB, Florida on April 29 (U.S. Air Force photo)

Termed Milestone 1 of the Autonomous Attritable Aircraft Experimentation (AAAx) campaign, the ACS performed a series of foundational behaviors necessary to characterize safe system operation. The ACS demonstrated basic aviation capabilities and responded to navigational commands, while reacting to geo-fences, adhering to aircraft flight envelopes, and demonstrating coordinated maneuvering. It was monitored from both airborne and ground command and control stations.

The Skyborg Vanguard team is a unique relationship that pairs Brigadier General Dale White, Program Executive Officer (PEO) for Fighters and Advanced Aircraft as the Skyborg PEO, and Brigadier General Heather Pringle, Commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) as the Skyborg Technology Executive Officer (TEO). The 96th Test Wing, under the leadership of Brigadier General Scott Cain, serves as the executing agent for these test missions.

«We’re extremely excited for the successful flight of an early version of the “brain” of the Skyborg system. It is the first step in a marathon of progressive growth for Skyborg technology», said White. «These initial flights kickoff the experimentation campaign that will continue to mature the ACS and build trust in the system».

Milestone 1 is the first step in testing the ACS and begins a sequence of experimentation events planned over the next several months.

«Through this operational experimentation campaign, AFRL is leaning forward to get early engagement with the warfighter to deliver a suite of full-mission autonomy on a relevant timeline», said Pringle. «AFRL is proud to be developing this force multiplier for the U.S. Air Force with our partners at PEO Fighters and Advanced Aircraft and the 96th Test Wing».

The 96th Test Wing is well-positioned to integrate and test emerging technologies like autonomy on various platforms (aircraft and weapons) and has provided critical infrastructure support and test expertise to Skyborg. Milestone 1 was the first time an active autonomy capability was demonstrated on an Air Force test range, and is a first step to integrating these aircraft into a complex operational environment.

«As we have throughout our history, the Test enterprise is adapting our people and capabilities to support this rapidly maturing technology, and the execution of this flight test is a great milestone for our closely integrated development and acquisition team. Safely executing this test and providing the knowledge needed to advance the technology is at the heart of what we do. And as always, we’re highly motivated to help bring war-winning technology to the next fight», said Cain.

Follow on events will demonstrate direct manned-unmanned teaming between manned aircraft and multiple ACS-controlled unmanned aircraft.

The aim of the Skyborg Vanguard program is to integrate full-mission autonomy with low-cost, attritable unmanned air vehicle technology to enable manned-unmanned teaming. Skyborg will provide the foundation on which the Air Force can build an airborne autonomous “best of breed” system of systems that adapts, orients, and decides at machine speed for a wide variety of increasingly complex mission sets.

Air, Fighters, Missiles & Guided Weapons, Rocket

Anti-Radiation Missile

The U.S. Navy completed an Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile – Extended Range (AARGM-ER) captive carry flight on an F/A-18 Super Hornet April 22 at Patuxent River in support of the first live fire event this spring.

AARGM-ER
An F/A-18 Super Hornet flies with an Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile – Extended Range (AARGM-ER) during a captive carry flight test at Patuxent River Air Station in Maryland. The U.S. Navy is integrating AARGM-ER on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler, and will be compatible for integration of the F-35 Lightning II (U.S. Navy photo)

This flight marked the first time the AARGM-ER weapon demonstrated it could communicate with the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet aircraft. The Separation Test Vehicle (STV) used its hardware and software to facilitate the controlled free flight.

«Data collected from this testing will support expansion of flight testing with AARGM-ER to the full performance envelope of F/A-18 Super Hornet», said Captain Mitch Commerford, program manager for Direct and Time Sensitive Strike program office (PMA-242). «This flight represents a significant step in the AARGM-ER engineering and manufacturing development phase».

During the test, the F/A-18 Super Hornet conducted a series of aerial maneuvers in order to evaluate compatibility of the AARGM-ER with the F/A-18 Super Hornet. The test points completed during this flight test event substantiated F/A-18 Super Hornet carriage compatibility.

AARGM-ER is being integrated on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler, and will be compatible for integration of the F-35 Lightning II. By leveraging the U.S. Navy’s AARGM program that’s in Full Rate Production, the AARGM-ER with a new rocket motor and warhead will provide advanced capability to detect and engage enemy air defense systems.

Navy

Miguel Keith

The U.S. Navy commissioned its newest expeditionary mobile base, the USS Miguel Keith (ESB-5), during a 10:00 a.m. PST ceremony Saturday, May 8, at Naval Air Station North Island, Coronado, California.

USS Miguel Keith (ESB-5)
The Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary mobile base USS Miguel Keith (ESB-5) sits pierside during the ship’s commissioning ceremony. The Miguel Keith is the Navy’s third purpose-built expeditionary sea base (ESB). While originally created to operate as a support ship under Military Sealift Command, USS Miguel Keith (ESB-5) has been commissioned to provide greater mission flexibility in accordance with the laws of armed conflict. USS Miguel Keith (ESB-5) is named after Marine Corps Vietnam veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Lance Corporal Miguel Keith and is the first ship to bear the name (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kevin C. Leitner)

Due to public health and safety concerns related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the commissioning ceremony was private with a limited audience.

Admiral Craig Faller, commander, U.S. Southern Command, delivered the commissioning ceremony’s principal remarks. Mrs. Eliadora Delores Keith, Lance Corporal Miguel Keith’s mother, was the ship’s sponsor. The ceremony was highlighted by a time-honored Navy tradition when Eliadora Keith gives the order to «man our ship and bring her to life»!

Captain Troy A. Fendrick, a native of Tempe, Arizona, is the ship’s commanding officer and leads a crew of roughly 100 military officers and crew, alongside 44 Military Sealift Civil Service Mariners. The ship is 785 feet/239 m in length, has a beam of 164 feet/50 m, and a navigational draft of approximately 39 feet/12 m.

The ship, named in honor of Marine Corps Vietnam veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Lance Corporal Miguel Keith, was built in San Diego by General Dynamics National Association of Sewer Service Companies (NASSCO) and was delivered to the Navy on November 15, 2019.

USS Miguel Keith (ESB-5) is the third Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB). ESB was previously known as Afloat Forward Staging Base. These vessels are highly flexible platforms that provide logistics movement from sea to shore supporting a broad range of military operations. The ESB is designed around four core capabilities: aviation facilities, berthing, equipment staging area, and command and control.

USS Miguel Keith (ESB-5) will be part of the Forward Deployed Naval Force operating from Saipan.

Navy

Polar Icebreakers

Canada has three oceans and the longest coastline in the world. Our nation’s blue economy depends on a strong Coast Guard fleet to keep mariners safe, protect our coasts and waterways, and deliver commercial goods and other vital services to Canadians.

Polar Icebreaker
Government of Canada announces Polar Icebreakers to enhance Canada’s Arctic presence and provide critical services to Canadians

The recent growth in commercial shipping, the serious impacts of climate change, and increased maritime activity in the Arctic have all highlighted Canada’s need for a renewed Coast Guard fleet.

On May 6, 2021, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, joined by the Quebec Lieutenant and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, announced the Government of Canada will move forward with the construction of two Polar icebreakers under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS).

Both new Polar icebreakers will have capacity and ability beyond that of Canada’s current largest icebreaker, the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent, and will both be built by Canadian shipyards. Early estimates are that the construction of these ships will generate approximately 300 jobs per vessel at the shipyards, and 2,500 jobs across the marine supply chain. The construction of these new ships is in addition to the $17.49 billion in contracts already awarded to shipyards large and small across Canada under the NSS that have resulted in the revitalization of Canada’s shipbuilding industry, and the creation of thousands of jobs already.

Seaspan Shipyards in Vancouver, British Columbia, which has proven its shipbuilding capability with the completion of the first class of large vessels under the NSS, will build one of the Polar icebreakers. The other Polar icebreaker will be built by Davie Shipbuilding of Lévis, Quebec, pending the successful completion of the ongoing selection process as the third strategic partner for large ships construction under the NSS. Both shipyards are expected to be supported by many small and medium-sized Canadian businesses across the country, ensuring that the construction of these ships will be a historic, cross-country effort to help drive Canada’s economic recovery from COVID-19.

This procurement approach will ensure at least one polar icebreaker is delivered by 2030 when the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent is expected to retire from service. Precise timing of icebreaker delivery will be determined once shipyard agreements are in place.

With their enhanced capabilities, these larger, more powerful Polar icebreakers will enable the Coast Guard to conduct year-round operations in Canada’s Arctic. Their greater endurance will ensure they can operate at higher latitudes for longer periods, and will allow the fleet to better support Indigenous Peoples and northerners, strengthen Arctic sovereignty, advance high Arctic science, and better respond to maritime emergencies.

Today’s announcement represents a large step forward in ensuring the Canadian Coast Guard has the equipment it needs. It will also have a lasting impact on Canadian marine industry, its workers and their suppliers. Through their construction and service, the Polar icebreakers will contribute to growing Canada’s blue economy and create more opportunities in our coastal communities. They will strengthen our Coast Guard for the long-term, and ensure that maritime services and science platforms are available year-round in Arctic waters.