Ice, Steel, and the Cold War: USS Carl Vinson in the Arctic, January 1987

The Tomcat sat on the catapult as snow fell across the flight deck of USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) under the pale Arctic sun. Inside the cockpit, the pilot and Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) went through their checks with stiff fingers, breath still fogging their masks despite the daylight. The Bering Sea wind swept across the deck, bringing snow and the smell of jet exhaust, while yellowshirts moved carefully on the ice-slick surface. When the cat officer gave the signal, the pilot advanced the throttles and felt the F-14 pull against the holdback. Moments later the catapult fired, sending the Tomcat off the carrier and into a gray winter sky, climbing over a cold, open ocean where Cold War tension was measured in distance and time rather than lines on a map.

In January 1987, the U.S. Navy demonstrated that a nuclear-powered carrier strike group could operate effectively in the severe winter conditions of the North Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea. Operations centered on Operation Kernel Potlatch 87/1, a major Third Fleet exercise directed by Admiral James “Ace” Lyons, Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet. Conducted from 23–28 January in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, the exercise included twin amphibious assaults on Adak and Shemya, supported by Carl Vinson and her battle group—the first winter deployment of a U.S. carrier battle group to the Bering Sea since World War II. Carl Vinson also participated in Operation Safe Haven on 25 January, demonstrating the Navy’s ability to conduct concurrent operations in extreme Arctic conditions. These activities responded to increased Soviet presence in the region, with Admiral Lyons emphasizing that the U.S. would no longer permit unchallenged Soviet operations there.

Aircraft handlers utilize tow tractors to move F-14A Tomcats on the snow-covered flight deck of Carl Vinson (CVN-70) on 21 January 1987. This view shows a mix of VF-51 "Screaming Eagles" (100 modex) and VF-111 "Sundowners" (200 modex) aircraft. (PH3 Charles Solseth/U.S. Navy via National Naval Aviation Museum)

Carrier Air Wing Fifteen (CVW-15), comprising nine squadrons, was embarked aboard Carl Vinson: F-14 Tomcats from Fighter Squadrons (VF) 51 and 111; A-7 Corsairs from Light Attack Squadrons (VA) 27 and 97; A-6 Intruders from Medium Attack Squadron (VA) 52; S-3 Vikings from Antisubmarine Squadron (VS) 29; SH-3 Sea Kings from Antisubmarine Helicopter Squadron (HS) 4; EA-6 Prowlers from Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron (VAQ) 134; and E-2 Hawkeyes from Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 114. Also aboard were one C-2 Greyhound Carrier Onboard Delivery (COD) aircraft from Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 50 and one EA-3 Skywarrior from Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron (VQ) 1. All CVW-15 aircraft carried the tail code “NL.”

Carl Vinson’s northern transit occurred near the end of her 1986–87 Western Pacific and Indian Ocean deployment. Enroute to her homeport on the U.S. West Coast, the carrier deliberately entered the Bering Sea to test cold-weather operations. Conditions were extreme: frequent storms of ice and blinding snow that completely covered the flight deck; temperatures averaging 20 to 36°F and dropping as low as 10°F; winds gusting to 40–60 knots; and seas producing pitching excursions of up to 19 feet. Despite these punishing elements—and constant Soviet air reconnaissance—the crew persevered. Flight operations continued daily, sustaining launch and recovery cycles and supporting amphibious and air landings at Adak and Shemya as part of Kernel Potlatch 87/1.

Crewmen brush snow and ice off VF-111 F-14A BuNo 161153 (NL-213) during operations in the Bering Sea on 21 January 1987. The Tomcat behind it, VF-111 F-14A BuNo 160660 (NG-200), carries deceptive Air Wing Nine (NG tail code) and USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) markings to fool Soviet reconnaissance. (U.S. Navy via NNAM)

At the heart of these operations were the F-14 squadrons, responsible for fleet air defense near the Soviet Far East. Designed to counter long-range Soviet naval aviation, the Tomcat’s AWG-9 radar and long-range missile capability made it the carrier strike group’s primary defense against reconnaissance aircraft and potential bomber threats. During Operation Kernel Potlatch 87/1, Tomcat crews maintained continuous combat air patrols, providing early detection, identification, and interception capability while operating in extreme cold that challenged avionics, hydraulics, and aircrew endurance.

While the fighter squadrons executed the air defense mission, the remainder of CVW-15 conducted strike, antisubmarine, and support operations. A-6 and A-7 attack aircraft flew training and operational sorties under icing conditions rarely encountered in carrier aviation, while S-3 and SH-3 antisubmarine aircraft patrolled cold northern waters of high strategic interest. Ice accumulation on the flight deck required constant mitigation, including the innovative use of aircraft exhaust to maintain launch and recovery capability.

F-14A BuNo 160692 (NG-102) of VF-51 traps aboard Carl Vinson on 21 January 1987. Again, note the use of deceptive NG tail markings. (PH3 Charles Solseth/U.S. Navy via NNAM)

The sustained performance of Carl Vinson and her air wing during these operations earned Battle Group Charlie (Northern Pacific Group) the Meritorious Unit Commendation. The citation praised their performance “in the midst of heightened and continuous Soviet air reconnaissance” and described the deployment as “as severe a test of true combat readiness as any carrier battle group had ever encountered.”

Though overshadowed by more visible Cold War flashpoints, Carl Vinson’s January 1987 Arctic operations remain a compelling demonstration of naval readiness. Conducted in waters where U.S. Navy ships rarely operated during winter, the Bering Sea deployment carried significance far beyond training value. Carl Vinson’s success demonstrated the resilience of carrier aviation—particularly its fighter screen—under extreme environmental stress, validated fleet air defense doctrine at high latitudes, and reinforced U.S. naval presence along a critical Cold War maritime boundary.

For naval aviation professionals, the lessons from Carl Vinson’s Arctic operations remain enduring. The Cold War may have ended, but the operational insights and strategic importance of the region persist amid renewed Russian activity and the growing reach of Chinese forces into the North Pacific and Arctic approaches.