Military Sealift Command Completes Cargo Operations for Operation Deep Freeze 2026
Military Sealift Command successfully completed cargo operations at Port Hueneme, California, for Operation Deep Freeze 2026, loading 305 cargo pieces, including a 65-ton Modular Causeway System, onto the Dutch-flagged ship Plantijngracht. The vessel will make a stop in Christchurch, New Zealand, before traveling approximately 8,040 nautical miles to McMurdo Station, Antarctica, where Navy Cargo Handling Battalion ONE will offload the cargo. The use of a foreign-flagged vessel has drawn criticism, despite the contract being awarded after a competitive procurement process.
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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.
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