The Coast Guard has icebreakers and does research. I knew several buddies who did so, though the MST (Marine Science Technician) rating seems to focus more on security these days.
They did research when I served, a mere 50 years ago! These days, as part of DHS, not DOT, I can imagine that research is a dirty word compared to "projecting national interests" and the Commandant was summarily dismissed for predictable reasons. So I can't say what research, if any, is conducted these days. One can ask.
A recent comparison of CG and NSF breakers, the latter of which is now zero, is in this congressional report. Physical page 45.
That, I can't say. I was at the commisioning of the Coast Guard R&D Center in Groton, 50+ years ago, and it moved across the river to a big facility in New London.
Here is the place to look for research. I did look up the R&D center a while back with my impending 50 year anniversary of service. I was in the Physics branch and knew buddies in oceano.
Our guy Dennis got multispectral photos of ice with a Hasselblad UV-Sonnar. Quartz and CaF elements. Who can forget that?
The article also says it's being "decommissioned" when it's merely not renewing the lease. I wonder who owns it and if anyone knows what they plan to do with it?
By having a population who reads a clickbait headline, doesn't read the article, doesn't do any further study, and then propagates the falsehood and moves on to the next one.
The Coast Guard has icebreakers and does research. I knew several buddies who did so, though the MST (Marine Science Technician) rating seems to focus more on security these days.
The "old guard" My, how things change.
A new icebreaker was just added.
https://www.mycg.uscg.mil/News/Article/4016098/coast-guard-a...