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Military Sealift Command completed cargo loadout operations at Port Hueneme, California, for Operation Deep Freeze 2026, sending the Dutch-flagged ship Plantijngracht to McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Between December 21 and January 7, 305 cargo pieces were loaded, including a 65-ton Modular Causeway System.

The operation was overseen by four members of Military Sealift Command Pacific's Expeditionary Port Unit. After a stop in Christchurch, New Zealand, Plantijngracht will travel approximately 8,040 nautical miles to McMurdo, where Navy Cargo Handling Battalion ONE will offload the cargo.

The decision to use a foreign-flagged vessel has faced criticism regarding U.S. maritime practices. The contract was awarded after a competitive procurement process that began in October 2025, yielding only one technically acceptable foreign-flagged ship.