The polar icebreaker readiness gap

The Arctic patrol mission was chronically underfunded, and Polar Star was approaching fifty years of service while still carrying the burden of a heavy icebreaker. Polar Sea had become a source of spare parts for Polar Star, leaving Healy as the active medium icebreaker instead of providing a robust fleet of three. The Polar Security Cutter replacement plan had already encountered repeated schedule and funding problems. Polar access is a strategic capability that cannot be improvised after a crisis begins.