Project Iceworm: Missile Bases in Greenland Ice

The process of digging and covering a trench at Camp Century, 1960.
In the early 1960s, the United States planned to build a network of under-ice tunnels and bases in Greenland. They were planned to house a large number of missile strategic complexes for a possible exchange of blows with the USSR. The project, called Iceworm, was developed at the theoretical level, but its practical implementation encountered serious problems. As a result, the work did not progress beyond the first practical events.
"Ice Worm"
In the 1950s, the US and the USSR began actively deploying strategic ballistic missiles and seriously considered the possibility of exchanging nuclear missile strikes. In such circumstances, the issues of camouflaging launch sites and protecting them from possible attacks became especially important. Various solutions were proposed, including the most daring ones.
For example, the United States came up with the idea of building a new missile positioning area outside the country. It was proposed to place it in Greenland, within the framework of the existing military cooperation agreement with Denmark. For the purpose of camouflage, all the main structures were to be placed under the ice.
Despite the obvious complexity and high cost of such construction, the idea was approved by the Pentagon. In 1958, a project codenamed Iceworm was developed on its basis. The design, necessary research, and construction were planned to take several years.

Placement of Iceworm program objects
Project Iceworm was created in the strictest secrecy. The US did not inform even Denmark and the local administration of Greenland about its plans. The existence of the project became known only in the mid-nineties, 30 years after all work had stopped.
Big plans
According to the Iceworm plan, the US Army engineers were to carry out a large construction project in Greenland over several years. It was necessary to build a network of closed tunnels in the ice, a large number of launch sites, bases and other facilities.
The tunnels were to cover a significant part of the island's territory, and their total length was to exceed 4 thousand km. In addition, dozens of bases were planned to be built under the ice to accommodate people, equipment and weapons. These bases were to house dozens or even hundreds of launch sites for missile systems.
According to the Iceworm project, a large garrison and up to 500-600 missile systems were to be permanently stationed in the Greenland subglacial structures. Mobile launchers were to shuttle between prepared positions and wait for an order. Upon receiving it, the systems could move to the designated positions and launch missiles at the territory of the USSR.
When constructing bases and tunnels, it was planned to use both new and well-mastered technologies. The tunnels were to be cut in the ice using an open method and reinforced with metal structures. Then the trenches were planned to be filled with snow and ice, which over time were supposed to freeze, creating strong protection and camouflage.

Camp Fist Clench Base Layout
The power supply system was planned to be built on the basis of portable nuclear power plants. Electricity was supposed to provide heating of objects, creation of acceptable living conditions, operation of all systems, etc. It was also necessary to organize a system of wells for water extraction and provide for other important systems.
The first experiments
Technologies for constructing subglacial structures began to actively develop even before the start of the Iceworm project. The first experiments in this area were conducted in 1953, and several years later an attempt was made to create a full-fledged base under the surface of the glacier.
In 1957, construction began on a facility called Camp Fist Clench in northwestern Greenland, some distance from Thule Air Base. The construction was carried out by a small team of fewer than 30 people, using only the tools and equipment that were available.
Five trenches up to 6 m wide and over 3 m deep were cut in the ice. Four of them were of different lengths and were parallel, and the fifth crossed and connected them. The longest tunnel was about 180 m long. The trenches were covered with metal arches, on top of which snow and ice were piled.

Camp Century Base Plan
Small, prefabricated buildings with the necessary equipment were installed in the tunnels. The camp included living and utility rooms, a generator, fuel and water supplies, and a large warehouse. However, Camp Fist Clench was not designed for long-term human stays or real-world missions.
Camp "Vek"
The "Clenched Fist" demonstrated the fundamental possibility of constructing an under-ice base, and it was decided to implement a larger project of this kind. The new facility was named Camp Century. It was located at some distance from the previous experimental base.
Interestingly, this time the Pentagon did not hide its plans to create Camp Century. The US openly approached the Danish leadership and received permission to carry out the work. In addition, the project received coverage in the press. According to legend, the US military planned to build "general purpose" army bases in the Arctic, and "Century" was to be the first of them.
Construction of the new facility in Greenland began in 1960 by the relevant structures of the US Army. Despite all the complexity, the construction of the base took only a few months. Already in 1960-1961, a permanent garrison appeared there, which was supposed to operate and maintain the infrastructure, conduct various exercises and conduct climate research.
Base under the ice
Camp Century had a special architecture. 21 tunnels of different sizes and lengths were cut into the ice. Some of them were intended to accommodate certain objects, while others were a kind of streets connecting the main objects. All tunnels and trenches were reinforced with metal arched structures.

The roof of the Veka trench before it was covered with snow and ice
The main tunnels, which housed service and living quarters, were located next to each other. At a certain distance from them, infrastructure facilities were located. Thus, to the north were tunnels with their own nuclear power plant, to the east - water supply facilities, and to the south - fuel storage. Entrances to the base were provided from all sides.
The power supply for the Century camp was based on a mobile nuclear power plant, the PM-2A type, designed and built by Alco. It was a compact power unit with an electrical capacity of 2 MW, also capable of supplying customers with heat. The power plant was transported to Greenland in disassembled form, installed on site, and the reactor was physically launched in October 1960.
The water for the base came from the so-called Rodriguez Well (Rodriguez Well or Rodwell). This was a vertical well about 10 m deep, into which pipes were placed to supply steam and lift water. The steam supplied downwards heated and melted the ice. With its help, a cavity with melt water was formed and maintained in the ice. Through a separate pipe, the water was raised to the top by a pump and fed into the water supply system. Some of the water was taken to produce steam. The water from the well was constantly tested for the presence of hazardous substances or pathogens.
Many prefabricated buildings for various purposes were built in the tunnels. They housed barracks, utility rooms and other necessary facilities. To improve service conditions and the psychological climate, a gym, theater and church were even provided in the tunnels. Some of the tunnels were given over to the placement of equipment, workshops, weapons, etc.
Short service
The garrison of the under-ice base consisted of about 200 people. It included servicemen of various ranks and specialties, as well as a scientific group. The task of the personnel was to service all systems, conduct training events and practice the specifics of service at an unusual facility. In addition, climate research was conducted at the base, both general and in the context of the Iceworm project.

Construction of premises for the PM-2A NPP
Already in 1962-1963, scientists began to notice that the Camp Century base was in serious danger. The glacier in which the base was built was moving toward the sea faster than expected, and the ice layers were moving unevenly. As a result, in the near future, the ice could simply break the base's structures with obvious results.
The fears were soon justified. In mid-1962, a partial collapse of the ceilings in the power plant building occurred. Fortunately, there were no serious consequences. After this and a number of other events, in 1963 it was decided to reduce the Camp Century project program in order to prevent further incidents.
In the fall and winter of that year, the garrison was evacuated and the base was mothballed. The personnel returned only the following summer and began dismantling the nuclear power plant. The power supply was transferred to backup diesel generators, which significantly reduced the efficiency and economic indicators of the camp.
Occasional activities and research at the base continued until 1965-1966. Then a decision was made to finally withdraw the garrison and close the base. The equipment and supplies were removed from the subglacial structures, but the metal structures remained in place.
Experiment results
US Army specialists managed to build and equip a full-fledged military base in the thickness of a glacier and even operate it for some time. However, the results of this experiment were considered negative. The project did not meet expectations and also showed a number of characteristic problems.

Rodwell System Diagram
Following the Camp Century experiment, the military department decided to abandon the main Iceworm project. The experience of the first "camp" showed what problems would be encountered in the construction and operation of a full-scale network of bases and tunnels. It was decided to look for other ways to covertly deploy and protect missile systems.
Nevertheless, the Vek base became a platform for practical testing of existing and new technologies and products. It demonstrated the fundamental possibility of rapid construction of shelters in ice using only existing equipment. The existing technologies made it possible to equip such a facility and adapt it to specific tasks.
As part of the Camp Century experiment, full-scale operational tests of a promising mobile NPP were conducted. It confirmed all the calculated characteristics and met expectations. The topic of mobile nuclear reactors was further developed, and some samples reached full operation.
Rodriguez's wells also successfully coped with their tasks and received high marks. However, the specifics of this technology seriously limited the scope of its application. As far as is known, this method of water supply was not fully applied anywhere in the future.

One of the interior rooms at Camp Century
During the operation of Camp Century, many scientific studies in the field of climate were conducted. Drilling and cores were regularly carried out. These materials were actively used in various studies and made a significant contribution to the study of glaciers, Greenland and the Arctic in general.
Recently, the Century base has been in the spotlight again. In April 2024, NASA conducted a radar survey of Greenland glaciers, which resulted in the discovery of an unknown large object. Further research revealed that it was Camp Century. The base has once again attracted the attention of researchers, who are now interested in the condition of the facility after several decades of inactivity.
Useful experience
Thus, the main program Project Iceworm and the experimental projects did not produce the desired results. The US strategic nuclear forces did not receive a network of bases in Greenland and were forced to look for other ways of development, which eventually determined their current appearance.
At the same time, the projects and experiments allowed testing a number of new ideas, technologies and products. Some of these developments were developed and put into practice. In addition, several decades after its closure, the Greenland base Camp Century may again be of interest to science.
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