FRIDAY FOTO (Sept. 9, 2011)

Cold Air Drop

(U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Lally)

Petty Officers 2nd Class Chris Smith (right) and Jared Morrison prepare a canister with equipment to be dropped to the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy and the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Louis St. Laurent near the North Pole Sept. 7, 2011. Smith and Morrison conducted three canister drops to the two icebreakers. Both Coast Guardsmen are HC-130 Hercules airplane crewmen assigned to Air Station Kodiak, Alaska.

The Healy, based in Seattle, Washington, is the Coast Guard’s newest and most technologically advanced polar icebreaker. It is designed to break 4.5 feet-thick ice continuously at three knots. The ship can operate in conditions as low as 50 degrees below zero (Farenheit).

The Healy crew is working with the Canadian crew to map the Arctic sea floor and conduct scientific research.

(Coast Guard photo by Seaman Evan Burgeson)

Friday Foto Two-fer

Here is a shot showing what a tough target the two ice breakers made.