Military Sealift Command has concluded Operation Deep Freeze 2026 cargo loadout operations in Port Hueneme, Calif. MSC chartered heavy lift ship Plantijngracht, departed Port Hueneme, last night, en route to McMurdo Station, Antarctica, where they will deliver cargo to resupply the remote base.
From Dec. 21-Jan 7, Plantijngracht was loaded with 305 pieces of cargo consisting of containers filled with construction materials, construction equipment, and parts for the ongoing barge project at McMurdo Station, as well as dry goods and supplies needed for the year’s survival on Antarctica. In addition to the containers of cargo, a 65-ton floating Modular Causeway System (MCS) was also loaded onto Plantijngracht. The causeway will replace the ice pier again this year, at McMurdo Station.Throughout the operation, four members of the Military Sealift Command Pacific Expeditionary Port Unit oversaw the loadout, serving as liaisons between Plantijngracht’s crew, port services and Military Sealift Command.
Following a stop in Christchurch, New Zealand, where the ship will load additional cargo, Plantijngracht will continue to McMurdo Station, where members of Navy Cargo Handling Battalion ONE will first offload the MCS pieces, assembling them into sections on Plantijngracht’s deck and then placing them into the water, floating into place. The Sections will be attached to one another to form the final pier. Following the MCS assembly, cargo offload operations will begin. Before departing McMurdo station, retrograde cargo will be loaded onto the ship for transportation off the continent. These include trash and recyclable materials for disposal and equipment no longer required on the station. In addition, Plantijngracht will be loaded with ice core samples that will be stored on the ship in sub-zero freezer containers. The ice core samples will be delivered to the United States for scientific study.
Operation Deep Freeze is a joint service, on-going Defense Support to Civilian Authorities mission in support of the National Science Foundation (NSF). NSF is the lead agency for the United States Antarctic Program. Mission support consists of active duty, Guard and Reserve personnel from the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Army, and Coast Guard as well as Department of War civilians and attached non-DOW civilians. ODF operates from two primary locations situated at Christchurch, New Zealand and McMurdo Station, Antarctica. MSC-chartered ships have made the challenging voyage to Antarctica every year since the station and its resupply mission were established in 1955.
| Date Taken: | 01.07.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 01.08.2026 14:40 |
| Story ID: | 555866 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 50 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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