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Twelve tonnes of equipment have been delivered to crews in Antarctica as a part of Operation Southern Discovery, marking the beginning of the 2025–26 operational research season.
A RAAF C-17A Globemaster III dropped the supplies to Casey Station, 3,880 kilometres south of Perth, to the active personnel who are part of research operations. Supplies included fresh food, life support stock, and scientific equipment used as a part of the Million Year Ice Core project.
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The year 2025 marks a significant milestone for the ADF, being the 10th anniversary of supporting operations in the Antarctic. Personnel across the Navy, Army, and Air Force continue to operate in the region to support scientific research and logistics.
“The Australian Defence Force is supporting this international effort by delivering personnel and essential equipment across vast distances to some of the most remote and sparsely populated regions in the world,” Chief of Joint Operations, Vice Admiral Justin Jones said.
“Our contribution reflects a longstanding commitment to international cooperation and supporting peaceful scientific activities in Antarctica.”
Notable contributions from the ADF across the past decade include six C-17A Globemaster III cargo supply flights, multiple air logistic specialists in Australia and Antarctica working collaboratively in flight operations, and specialists in meteorology and communications working with ground teams.
The Million Year Ice Core project aims to drill an ice core “containing a million-year record of Earth’s climate and atmospheric composition” and is a groundbreaking research project that the ADF will continue to support through Operation South Discovery.
“This is one of the most ambitious and challenging scientific missions ever undertaken in Antarctica,” VADM Jones said.
“Through international collaboration, the project seeks to uncover why, nearly 1 million years ago, Earth’s glacial cycles shifted from occurring every 41,000 years to every 100,000 years.”
Science lead for the project, Dr Joel Pedro, highlighted the importance of the supply drop, noting the restrained timeline that researchers have to work under.
“The multiple pathways for getting cargo to the drill site this season, aim to safely deliver our equipment at the right time to support two months of science and ice core drilling,” Pedro said.
“There is a narrow window of opportunity from late November to late January when conditions are warm enough to work at the site, which sits over 3,200 metres above sea level.”
