Oregon Air National Guard Director of Staff, Col. Christopher Lantagne, completed a six-week expedition as commander of the 13th Air Expeditionary Group at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, on December 27, 2024, supporting the National Science Foundation. The 13th AEG delivers logistical backing to US scientists undertaking research in Antarctica, necessitating a dedicated team of specialists.
Photo: 13th AEG
The senior US military officer conducted a cooperative team of Army, Navy, and Coast Guard partners in Operation Deep Freeze in Antarctica. Operation Deep Freeze is a joint service mission involving various agencies to aid the National Science Foundation, the lead agency for the US Antarctic Program.
Operation Deep Freeze provides logistical support for Antarctic scientific research, enabling climate science, geology, and biology discoveries.
It is a key military mission to resupply Antarctic stations in support of the National Science Foundation. It includes breaking ice-up activities to 21 feet thick to allow fuel and supply ships to reach McMurdo Station, the US Antarctic Program’s logistics hub. McMurdo surveyed 800,000 square miles of Antarctica and discovered the highest point of the ice dome at 14,000 feet.
Photo: 1st Lt Erika Yepsen | US Air Force
The 109th Airlift Wing, based in New York, utilizes five LC-130s equipped with skis for ice-free takeoff and landing. The unit is the only one operating these aircraft, the largest ski-equipped aircraft in the world. The National Guard units are assigned to global missions. On January 6th, 2024, New York Army National Guard soldiers from the 152nd Engineer Support were sent to the Horn of Africa for 10 months. The Combined Force comprises about 2,000 US military personnel in Sudan , Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Seychelles, and Kenya.
A Hub of Scientific Research and Exploration
From October 2023 to March 2024, 366 airmen from McMurdo Station conducted missions across Antarctica and New Zealand. The Wing completed more than 114 missions, moving 1,100 tons of cargo, 1,500 passengers, and 68,000 gallons of fuel. NSF McMurdo Station is Antarctica’s largest US year-round station, reinforcing up to 1,500 residents.
Adapting to life at McMurdo Station involves a combination of resilience and community support. Daylight is seasonal, with continuous daylight in summer and polar night in winter. The station includes dormitories, administrative buildings, a firehouse, a power plant, a water distillation plant, and recreational facilities like a library, coffee house, and gymnasiums. Residents engage in social activities, sports, and educational programs.
Photo: Google Maps
On June 27, 2024, New Zealand’s air force braved challenging weather conditions to rescue a stricken American from a US Antarctic research base. The crew of a Royal New Zealand Air Force Hercules transport plane had to be hot-fuelled on the ice-covered Antarctic airfield to prevent freezing in temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit (-40 degrees Celsius). The mission wore night-vision goggles, demonstrating extraordinary piloting skills in the dark and challenging conditions.
McMurdo, established in the mid-1950s as part of an international program to study and explore Antarctica peacefully, has airfields and a port, but weather conditions can limit access. The base operates seasonally, with daylight occurring during the south polar daytime and nighttime from April to September, requiring an icebreaker.
It is Antarctica’s largest community and is a modern science station with over 100 buildings, including the Albert P. Crary Science and Engineering Center. It also housed the continent’s prominent ATMs, provided by Wells Fargo Bank in 2007.
“The Lockheed LC-130 is an old airplane and we are operating it in a really austere location, parts are hard to get, so it takes a lot of TLC from the operations and maintenance team here to work. So they’re just all working their tails off to make this mission happen here,” said Col. Christopher Lantagne, Oregon Air National Guard Director of Staff.
The Skibird aircraft, the world’s only ski-equipped LC-130 Hercules, provides airlift to Antarctica and Greenland. Raven Camp, located 108 miles southeast of Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, is a specialized training facility for aircrew to fly in and out of harsh environments. It also hosts Kool School’s field portion, a three-day course on arctic survival skills.
Aircrews train on the flight deck, while loadmasters train on the aircraft’s back due to the remote locations of some camps. Loadmasters must perform combat offloads, unloading cargo while the aircraft moves. The C-130s have a long history in Antarctic Support.
C-130s began Antarctic support in 1959, initially without skis.
By 1975, the 109th AW operated the USAF’s only ski-equipped LC-130.
The unit began augmenting Navy LC-130s during Deep Freeze in 1988.
Primary responsibility took over in 1999.
Three aircraft converted from ex-Navy LC-130Rs.
The National Science Foundation NSF funded three new-build aircraft in 1995.
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Skybird ensures access
The Lockheed Martin LC-130 is stationed at Stratton Air National Guard Base, Schenectady, New York, with a US inventory of only 10 aircraft. It is powered by four Rolls-Royce T56 3.5 turboprops with modified main gear skis 12 feet by 6 feet wide and Nose Skis 10 feet by 6 feet wide. There are two versions of the LC-130H-2 aircraft: seven Navy LC-130R and three LC-130H-3 models.
Photo: Lt. Joshua Bowers | US Air National Guard
The Hercules is designed to perform multiple missions and handle various types of cargo. Special mission equipment is removable, allowing the aircraft to return to cargo delivery if needed. It can also be rapidly reconfigured for various cargo types, including palletized equipment, floor-loaded equipment, airdrop platforms, container delivery systems, vehicles, personnel, and aeromedical evacuation.
The LC-130 is operated by five crew members: two pilots, a navigator, a flight engineer, and a loadmaster. It can carry up to 92 passengers or 74 liters, six cargo pallets, 16 Container Delivery System CDS bundles, or any combination up to max weight. In 2022, the 109th AW modernized the LC-130 with engine 3.5 modifications for a more powerful and eco-friendly force, especially when heavy cargo loads or friction locks under skis cause aircraft to struggle to take off from icy surfaces.
LC-130 Upgrades Description Performance Enhancements Eight-bladed NP-2000 propellers for improved takeoff performance Avionics Upgrades Digital cockpit displays, flight management systems, multifunction radar Communication Upgrades Modernized communication systems Data Systems Single air data computer C-130H Fleet Upgrades Center wing box replacement, Mode 5 IFF, C-130H Avionics Modernization Program (Increment 2) Ice Pod Research Aft-mounted sensor pod for recording ice composition and density (radar, laser, optical sensors)
The 13th AEG coordinates medical evacuations in medical emergencies using its LC-130 aircraft. It works closely with medical facilities at McMurdo Station and other locations to ensure timely and effective care. The group also coordinates with other agencies, such as the National Science Foundation NSF and the US Air Force, to ensure a cohesive and effective response to emergencies.
Photo: Lt. Joshua Bowers | US Air National Guard
The 13th Air Expeditionary Group, originally the Thirteenth Air Force, is a provisional US Air Force unit assigned to Air Mobility Command. It is based at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and activated seasonally to support Operation Deep Freeze in Antarctica. The Thirteenth Air Force was inactivated on September 28, 2012, marking a history of supporting the Pacific. It executed airpower operations across the Asia-Pacific region, excluding the Korean region.