Building a secret Arctic military fortress in months

The secret Cold War base hidden in Arctic ice.

Aerial reconnaissance reveals Greenland's frozen landscape, where American engineers braved subzero temperatures and gale-force winds to build an outpost at the top of the world.

America's Classified Arctic Fortress

4 months to build a military base 900 miles from the North Pole.

Lieutenant General Lewis Pick briefs top engineers on the urgent order to construct a deep-Arctic bomber airfield within a narrow summer shipping window.

The Impossible 4-Month Arctic Deadline

Turning abandoned WWII warships into permanent Arctic docks.

Engineers salvage neglected World War II landing ships and slice off their superstructures to create giant floating docks for the frozen north.

Converting WWII Warships into Arctic Docks

Icebergs the size of dreadnoughts trapped the fleet

The Arctic convoy is trapped in dense pack ice, requiring Coast Guard icebreakers to bash through thick ice sheets and clear a path.

Navigating Through Massive Ice Fields and Icebergs

Amphibious trucks racing through iceberg waters

Amphibious DUKW trucks shuttle supplies across freezing waters between naval vessels and Arctic shorelines under strict beachmaster coordination.

Amphibious Trucks Dodge Icebergs to Unload Cargo

Levelling frozen terrain with 100-ton compactors

Crews blast quarries with high explosives to source rock fill and level the ground for a massive airstrip. Heavy 100-ton compaction machines pack layers of fill tight before asphalt is applied.

Blasting and Compacting an Arctic Runway

Running a pipeline over 50ft chasms into icy waters

Workers rig a long fuel pipeline across a 50-foot chasm using a specialized suspension rig before running the line out into the bay to connect directly with offshore tankers.

Suspending a Fuel Pipeline Across Arctic Chasms

How to build permanent foundations on melting permafrost

To keep the frozen ground solid beneath heavy buildings, engineers lay ventilated culvert pipes and foam glass insulation slabs. Cold air circulation prevents structure heat from thawing the permafrost foundation.

The Secret to Building Foundations on Permafrost

Prefab modular buildings erected ahead of Arctic winter

Crews race against winter to construct dozens of barracks using prefabricated Clements panels sealed with mastic caulking. The insulated modular structures let personnel relocate swiftly from transport ships into heated quarters.

Assembling Insulated Arctic Barracks in Record Time

104 days to build an Arctic runway before winter hits

As freezing storms close in on Greenland, crews rush asphalt paving and runway lights to finish Thule Air Base in a record-breaking 104 days.

Racing the Arctic Freeze in 104 Days

[01:13] America's Classified Arctic Fortress
[02:44] The Impossible 4-Month Arctic Deadline
[05:28] Converting WWII Warships into Arctic Docks
[10:24] Navigating Through Massive Ice Fields and Icebergs
[12:34] Amphibious Trucks Dodge Icebergs to Unload Cargo
[14:32] Blasting and Compacting an Arctic Runway
[17:36] Suspending a Fuel Pipeline Across Arctic Chasms
[18:44] The Secret to Building Foundations on Permafrost
[20:46] Assembling Insulated Arctic Barracks in Record Time
[22:56] Racing the Arctic Freeze in 104 Days

Building a secret Arctic military fortress in months

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