The KV Svalbard reaches the North Pole, August 21, 2019. Photo courtesy Norwegian Coast Guard
As part of an international science expedition, the Norwegian Navy has navigated one of their Ships, the Coast Guard vessel KV Svalbard Nordpolen, to the geographic North Pole for the first time. With increasing usage of Arctic waters by commercial shipping, it is important that Norway can both navigate these waters and also carry out scientific research in them.
According to the Norwegian Coast Guard, the vessel reached 90 degrees north at 09.32 CET on Wednesday, August 21, as part of scientific expedition called Coordinated Arctic Acoustic Thermometry Experiment (CAATEX). The vessel stayed at the North Pole four hours before the expedition returned south. According to the Head of Communications of the Norwegian navy, Commander Torill Herland, the purpose of the expedition is to map environmental development in the Polar Sea.