| Alfred Leo Pelletier Nuclear Submarines |
| The Arctic from Below In September 1960, the periscope of the USS Seadragon (SSN-584) views the Arctic ice pack from below, seeking an opening in the ice to surface. |
| At the North Pole (above) On 17 March 1959, the USS Skate (SSN-578) became the first submarine in history to surface at the North Pole |
Nuclear-powered submarines have enabled scientists to collect data not only from the ocean depths but
also from remote and otherwise inaccessible regions of the earth. Knowledge of the polar regions, in
particular, has benefitted greatly from the nuclear-powered submarine's ability to travel great distances
under the ice cap, then break through to the surface in areas that otherwise could not be reached at all.
The remote Arctic was a major scene of submarine activity during the Cold War, a place where fast attacks
hunted hiding boomers.
also from remote and otherwise inaccessible regions of the earth. Knowledge of the polar regions, in
particular, has benefitted greatly from the nuclear-powered submarine's ability to travel great distances
under the ice cap, then break through to the surface in areas that otherwise could not be reached at all.
The remote Arctic was a major scene of submarine activity during the Cold War, a place where fast attacks
hunted hiding boomers.
In May 1962, the submerged USS Ethan Allen (SSBN-608) test-fired a Polaris A-2 missile with a live nuclear
warhead across the Pacific Ocean toward Christmas Island, 1,700 miles (2,700 km) away. The test,
code-named Frigate Bird, was the only one the United States ever conducted of any nuclear ballistic missile
from launch through detonation. After a 12.5-minute, 1,200-mile (1,900 km) flight, the warhead exploded in
the air between 10,000 and 15,000 feet (3,000 and 4,600 m) high with a yield of 600 Kilotons. Thirty miles from
the air burst at periscope depth, the waiting USS Carbonaro (SS-337) captured the mushroom cloud on film.
warhead across the Pacific Ocean toward Christmas Island, 1,700 miles (2,700 km) away. The test,
code-named Frigate Bird, was the only one the United States ever conducted of any nuclear ballistic missile
from launch through detonation. After a 12.5-minute, 1,200-mile (1,900 km) flight, the warhead exploded in
the air between 10,000 and 15,000 feet (3,000 and 4,600 m) high with a yield of 600 Kilotons. Thirty miles from
the air burst at periscope depth, the waiting USS Carbonaro (SS-337) captured the mushroom cloud on film.
