Looking North and South: The Future of Royal Navy Ice Patrol

By Capt Hugh Harris RN

Message from the Editor

The author examines the state-of-the-art with regard to Polar icebreaker investment and development, and considers the relative cost for future RN procurement in increasingly competitive theatres.

A 30 minute read.

The Polar regions have mattered geographically, commercially, and scientifically to Britain since explorations into the Arctic began in the 1570s. 1Britain and the Arctic in the 19th and 20th Centuries. linda-parker.co.uk. Accessed April 3, 2026. https://linda-parker.co.uk/britain-and-the-arctic-in-the-19th-and-20th-centuries/ Led by the Royal Navy, the desire to chart and explore the world’s largest deserts 2Largest Desert in the World – Desert Map. Accessed March 14, 2026. https://geology.com/records/largest-desert.shtml spread to the southern polar regions in the 19th century and those earl…

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