USCGC Polar Star (WAGB 10) escorts motor vessel Stena Polaris through the ice-covered Ross Sea to McMurdo Station during Operation Deep Freeze 2026 [Image 5 of 18]

ANTARCTICA

01.21.2026

Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Bokum 

U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area

USCGC Polar Star escorts the largest fuel tanker ever to reach McMurdo Station through the ice-covered Ross Sea during Operation Deep Freeze 2026, Jan. 21, 2026. Pacific Air Forces operates on a 24-hour basis to provide the U.S. National Science Foundation complete joint operational and logistic support for Operation Deep Freeze. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Bokum)

• Date Taken: 01.21.2026
• Date Posted: 01.29.2026 13:50
• Photo ID: 9498531
• VIRIN: 260121-G-FN033-1010
• Resolution: 8256x5504
• Size: 8.17 MB
• Location: AQ