Provocative Submarine Q.O.T.W. - 21 FEB 2015

Background

This week's QOTW takes another look at the Navy's Ice Exercise (ICEX). Some of the questions, as well as answers provoke critical thoughts among both sub aficionados and enthusiasts who can read between lines.

 

Questions of the Week

1 -  Taking place during peacetime, what year marked the "first ICEX" according to the USN, and what submarine inaugurated such missioins (name and hull number)?

2 - ICEXs nowadays have been highly classified. How highly classified was the "first ICEX"?

3 - What was one of the primary objectives of the "first ICEX"? 

4 - What are some newer ICEX's objectives today?

5 - What ICEX of the current decade publicly demonstrated a strong U.S. intention to maintain a superior commitment to submarine know-how and training?

6 - Generally, how often are Arctic ICEX exercises conducted publicly?

7 - There is a special reason east coast submarines participate in ICEXs; what might their participation illustrate to potential adversaries?   

8 - Subsequent ICEX deployments involved both scientific and tactical exercises. What foreign navy has most often joined with the U.S. in arctic tactical exercises?
 
9 - For at least one ICEX since 2000, a sub's culinary specialists planned having a rather large btu-value of food available for each crew member. How much per person was this (in calories)?

10 - The first Sturgeon class submarine capable of shooting both TLAM and TLAM-N missiles participated in an ICEX.  In what year was that ICEX, what was that sub? 

11 - It may strike the uninitiated as odd that subs from our arctic ally Canada have not participated in ICEXs; what is the reason?

ANSWERS:  Monday, March 2nd 

Submarines are always silentrange.