Alva Review-Courier -

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The U.S. Navy has begun five weeks of submarine training and testing off Alaska's north coast that will include breaching the massive underwater vessels through Arctic sea ice.

The exercises, which also include the collection of scientific data, are dubbed Ice Exercise 2018, or ICEX18, and are scheduled every other year.

Rear Adm. James Pitts, commander of the Undersea Warfare Development Center, said in an announcement that the Navy builds experience with every ICEX.

"We are constantly testing new tactics, techniques and procedures under the ice and this exercise...