Skip to main content

International Cooperative Engagement Program for Polar Research (ICE-PPR)

The U.S. Department of Defense has been developing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with partner nations in order to improve defense and security capabilities in the Arctic. The International Cooperative Engagement Program for Polar Research (ICE-PPR) is the vehicle for this collaboration. Partner nations include:

  • United States of America Department of Defense (USA DoD)
  • The Department of National Defence of Canada (CAN DND)
  • The Ministry of Defence of the Kingdom of Denmark (DEN MOD)
  • The Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Finland (FIN MOD)
  • The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF)
  • The Ministry of Defence of the Kingdom of Norway (NOR MOD)
  • The Government of the Kingdom of Sweden (SWE)

These partners recognize the benefits to be obtained from standardization, rationalization and interoperability of military equipment. By building relationships in the region, we are seeking to make the best use of respective research and technology development capacities, eliminate unnecessary duplication of work, encourage interoperability, and obtain the most efficient and cost-effective results through cooperation in Polar Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) Projects. Ultimately, the goal is to improve respective conventional defense and security capabilities through the application of emerging technology, while having a common need for Polar RDT&E to satisfy common operational requirements. The underlying theme of this work is a shared desire for strong cooperative relationships that preserve safe, stable and secure Polar regions.

Research Concentration Areas

Topic areas have been divided into working groups, with each nation taking a lead for a specific area, but all nations participating in every group. The topic areas are environment, human performance, platforms and situational awareness. Exercises, asset sharing and experimentation activities have already shown cost savings and a greater awareness about the capabilities and gaps of partners.

Learn More

Program Contact

John Woods
International Engagement Office
john.e.woods@navy.mil

Image Gallery

Image
An Air-Deployable Expendable Ice Buoy (AXIB) is deployed in the high Arctic near the North Pole from a Royal Danish Air Force C-130 aircraft operating out of Thule Air Force Base in Greenland, as part of the International Arctic Buoy Program (IABP).

Image
Lt. Cmdr. John Woods, Office of Naval Research (ONR) reserve component, and Ignatius Rigor, University of Washington, prepare an Air-Deployable Expendable Ice Buoy (AXIB) for deployment in the high Arctic near the North Pole from a Royal Danish Air Force C-130 aircraft operating out of Thule Air Force Base in Greenland, as part of the International Arctic Buoy Program (IABP).

Image
Aircrew load an Air-Deployable Expendable Ice Buoy (AXIB) aboard a Royal Danish Air Force C-130 aircraft at Thule Air Force Base in Greenland, in preparation for deployment in the high Arctic as part of the International Arctic Buoy Program (IABP).

View more photos