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This picture provided by the US Navy on March 24, 2009 shows Los Angeles-class submarine USS Annapolis on the surface of the Arctic Ocean after breaking through three feet (1m) of ice on March 21, 2009 during Ice Exercise (ICEX) 2009. Annapolis and the Los Angeles-class submarine USS Helena are participating in ICEX 2009. With the support from the University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory, ICEX 2009 enables the Submarine Force to operate and train in the challenging and unique environment that characterizes the Arctic region. One of the experiments consists infact in test the submarine capability of breaking the ice pack in case of emergency.


getty images