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Project Iceworm was a secret U.S. military operation during the Cold War aimed at building a network of mobile nuclear missile launch sites under the ice sheet in Greenland. It was part of a broader strategy to position nuclear weapons closer to the Soviet Union for a potential preemptive or retaliatory strike.
The project was initiated in the early 1960s under the guise of scientific research conducted at Camp Century, a U.S. Army facility built under the Greenland ice sheet. While the scientific aspects were real, the military objectives remained classified.
Key Objectives of Project Iceworm
Strategic Positioning:
To deploy ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles) within striking distance of the Soviet Union, using Greenland's ice sheet for concealment.
The proposed system would allow missiles to be moved between sites, making them harder to detect and destroy.
Concealment:
The ice sheet offered natural camouflage for a vast network of tunnels and silos.
This setup was intended to ensure survivability against Soviet reconnaissance and attacks.
Camp Century: The Test Site
Location: North-western Greenland, about 150 miles from Thule Air Base.
Infrastructure:
The camp consisted of a series of underground tunnels and facilities built beneath the ice, including living quarters, a laboratory, and storage areas.
It was powered by a portable nuclear reactor, the first of its kind deployed in the Arctic.
Dual Purpose:
Officially, Camp Century was a scientific research station studying ice core samples, glaciology, and Arctic conditions.
Secretly, it was testing the feasibility of Project Iceworm.
The Plan
The full-scale Project Iceworm envisioned:
==A 2,500-mile network of tunnels.
60 launch sites capable of housing up to 600 ICBMs.==
Tunnels designed to shift missile locations regularly, complicating enemy targeting.
Challenges and Abandonment
Environmental Challenges:
The Greenland ice sheet proved unstable. The ice moved and deformed faster than expected, causing structural instability in the tunnels.
Extreme Arctic conditions made construction and maintenance difficult.
Geopolitical Issues:
Greenland was (and remains) part of Denmark, which was not informed about the military aspect of the project. This secrecy could have led to political backlash had it been discovered.
Cost and Feasibility:
The project was deemed too expensive and impractical compared to other nuclear deterrent strategies, such as submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) and silo-based ICBMs in the U.S.
Outcome:
Project Iceworm was officially abandoned in 1966(doubtful), and Camp Century was closed shortly thereafter.
Environmental and Political Legacy
Environmental Concerns:
The remnants of Camp Century, including radioactive materials, fuel, and waste, remain buried under the ice.
As the Greenland ice sheet melts due to climate change, these materials could be exposed, posing environmental risks.
Political Sensitivity:
The project highlighted the tensions between U.S. military ambitions and Danish sovereignty over Greenland.
In 1997, previously classified documents revealed the military purpose of Project Iceworm, leading to renewed debates over Arctic sovereignty and environmental accountability.
Significance
Cold War Tactics: Project Iceworm exemplifies the lengths to which the U.S. and the Soviet Union went during the Cold War to gain strategic advantages.
Scientific Contributions: Despite its military focus, Camp Century contributed valuable scientific knowledge, particularly through ice core samples that have been used to study past climate changes.