MSC’s Ocean Giant Delivers Vital Supplies To McMurdo, Begins Return Journey

The Military Sealift Command (MSC) has completed the first phase of its annual Antarctic resupply operation, with MV Ocean Giant successfully delivering essential cargo to McMurdo Station.

The vessel, a 17,590 dwt cargo ship built in 2012 and operated by Seabulk, arrived on January 26 to offload supplies needed to sustain the station for another year.

Ocean Giant delivered a floating marine causeway system, a critical addition due to the station’s ice pier becoming unusable after sustaining severe damage.

Once the causeway was assembled and positioned, the ship was able to moor and begin offloading 380 pieces of cargo, including mechanical parts, vehicles, construction materials, and office units.

The cargo operations were carried out by the ship’s crew and members of Navy Cargo Handling Battalion ONE, ensuring that all necessary materials reached the station.

The offloading was completed by February 11. The vessel then took on 360 containers of retrograde cargo for transport off the continent. These included waste, recyclable materials, and equipment that was no longer needed at McMurdo.

The ship departed Antarctica on February 9, with its first stop scheduled at Lyttelton, New Zealand, before continuing its return journey to the United States.

Meanwhile, another MSC-chartered vessel, MV Ocean Gladiator, is expected to reach McMurdo later this week. The 17,700 dwt general cargo ship, built in 2010, was last scheduled to arrive in Lyttelton on February 8 before heading to Antarctica.

Once it reaches the station, it will offload more supplies and later retrieve the floating causeway before departing. The annual resupply operation, known as Operation Deep Freeze, has been a key mission for the U.S. Antarctic Program since 1955.

This joint-service initiative supports the National Science Foundation (NSF) by ensuring McMurdo Station has the necessary supplies for scientific research and daily operations.

It involves personnel from the U.S. Navy, Army, Air Force and Coast Guard, as well as Department of Defense (DoD) civilians and attached non-DoD personnel. The operation is based out of Antarctica, Christchurch, New Zealand, and McMurdo Station.

A representative from MSC discussed the unique challenges of operating in Antarctica, saying that the mission requires coordination between multiple teams, including the ship’s crew, military personnel from different branches, civilian contractors, and the New Zealand Defense Force, who are all involved in cargo operations.

McMurdo Station, located on Ross Island, has been maintained by the U.S. since 1956, relying on these annual supply missions to sustain its research activities.

Every year, MSC-chartered vessels, including a cargo ship and a tanker, undertake the difficult journey to deliver supplies and remove waste.

Reference: US Navy

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