Navy Drones Patrol Beneath Arctic Ice

by Kris Osborn

The ice in the Arctic Ocean to assess how quickly the ice is melting and understand how soon the U.S. and Russia will be competing for new strategic waterways in the region.

The drones had been measuring the temperature and salt content to help scientists develop more accurate computer models with which to predict the anticipated future pace of melting ice, Martin Jeffries, science advisor to the Office of Naval Research, or ONR, told Scout Warrior.

The Navy’s unveiled its Updated Arctic Road Map that explains how increasing water temperatures and decreasing ice layers mean the service will need to increase the number of ships in the region over the next 20 years, Jeffries said.

Less ice in the Arctic means more open water, waterways and shipping routes in the region. More open water naturally leads to increased maritime transportation and greater competition for natural resources such as oil and gas mining.

As a result, Navy scientists are using unmanned underwater autonomous robots, or drones, to examine what’s called the marginal ice zone – the portion of frozen ocean’s packed ice that meets open water, Jeffries explained.

Alongside the drone research, ONR scientists have also been studying the impact of the waves upon the ice cover, water temperature and surrounding atmosphere.

“Waves can be damaging to the ice cover when they crash into the ice. It can accelerate the melting,” Jeffries said.