French
DeutschRising Star (ship, 1991)
 The USAF operates the tugboat Rising Star, at Thule Air Base, during the two to three months a year the port is ice-free. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Rising Star |
| Operator | United States Air Force[1] |
| Builder | Swiftships yard, Morgan City, Louisiana[1] |
| In service | 1991[1] |
| Homeport | Thule, Greenland |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Tugboat |
| Length | 71 feet (22 m)[1] |
| Installed power | 900 shaft horsepower (670 kW)[1] |
| Propulsion | 2 two-stroke diesel engines[1] |
Rising Star is a tugboat operated by the United States Air Force to assist cargo vessels supplying Thule Air Base, in northern Greenland.[1][2] The tugboat is only operated during the period of three months or less that the port is ice-free. For the remainder of the year the vessel is pulled up on the beach. Rising Star is the Air Force's only tugboat.[1]
Built in 1991 at the Swiftships yard in Morgan City, Louisiana,[1] Rising Star is 71 feet (22 m) long[1] and powered by two two-stroke diesel engines, capable of generating 900 shaft horsepower (670 kW) each.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Steve Brady (September 30, 2013). "Thule tugboat plies frigid Arctic waters". Thule AFB: United States Air Force. Archived from the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
Some small boats are used by security forces in Florida and some missile retriever boats are used to return target drones at Tyndall AFB," said Tech. Sgt. T. Read Harris, 821st Support Squadron vehicle maintenance representative. "But Thule can claim the only Air Force tugboat.
- ^ Daniel Dale (2013-08-22). "Thule stocks up for long winter's night". Colorado Springs Military Newspaper Group. Archived from the original on 2014-02-26.
The Ocean Giant waits in the bay for tanker operations to finish, while the Rising Star, the Air Force's only pusher boat, motors through the bay. The Rising Star helped position cargo ships into and out of Thule's port during Operation Pacer Goose, Thule's annual resupply mission.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Rising Star (ship, 1991) at Wikimedia Commons
- ^ "Thule Air Base coordinates ship rescue, saves 6". United States Space Force. Retrieved 2023-01-07.