| Camp Century | |
|---|---|
| Part of Project Iceworm | |
| Near Qaanaaq in Greenland | |
 Plan of base | |
  Camp Century | |
| Coordinates | 77°10′00″N 61°08′00″W / 77.1667°N 61.1333°W |
| Site information | |
| Owner | United States Army |
| Site history | |
| In use | 1959–1967 |
Camp Century was an Arctic United States military scientific research base in Greenland.[1] situated 240 km (150 mi) east of Pituffik Space Base. When built, Camp Century was publicized as a demonstration for affordable ice-cap military outposts and a base for scientific research.[2][3]
Camp Century was a preliminary camp for Project Iceworm whose end goal was to install a vast network of nuclear missile launch sites that could survive a first strike. This was according to documents declassified in 1996.[4] The missiles were never fielded and necessary consent from the Danish Government to do so was never broached.
The camp operated from 1959 until 1967. It consisted of 21 tunnels with a total length of 9,800 feet (3.0 km), and was powered by a nuclear reactor. Project Iceworm was aborted after it was realized that the ice sheet was not as stable as originally assessed, and that the missile basing concept would not be feasible. The reactor was removed and Camp Century later abandoned. However, hazardous waste remains buried under the ice and has become an environmental concern.[5]
- ^ Reed, John (April 6, 2012). "Inside the Army's Secret Cold War Ice Base". DefenseTech. Archived from the original on 3 October 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
- ^ "Arctic Underground Base Camp Century Greenland US Army".
- ^ "Arctic City Under the Ice! "Camp Century" YouTube". YouTube.
- ^ Petersen, Nikolaj (17 Dec 2007). "The Iceman That Never Came". Scandinavian Journal of History. 33. Scandinavian Journal of History Volume 33, 2008 - Issue 1: 75–98. doi:10.1080/03468750701449554. S2CID 142526881. Retrieved 15 Aug 2020.
- ^ "The Nuclear City Lost Under Ice - Camp Century Melting ice sheet could release frozen Cold War-era waste". YouTube. July 20, 2020. Retrieved Aug 9, 2020.