Project Iceworm. The secret US mission to bury nukes under Greenland
In the 1960s, Americans launched a secret program to build mobile nuclear missile launch sites under the ice cap of Greenland. Launchers created as part of Operation "Project Iceworm", which was part of the secret research project "Camp Century", were to enable quick strikes on targets in the USSR. The truth about the operation came out after years because initially, "Project Iceworm" was presented as an innocent research mission.
In 1959, the American army sent engineers to Greenland to build an underground city. They operated as part of the operation code-named "Project Iceworm", and its cover was the research project "Camp Century". The Americans claimed they were creating a polar research station that would help in studying climate change. This was only partially true. According to Live Science, the true purpose of the base's existence was kept secret from the Danish government for seven years.
Americans built an underground city
The USA planned that the city hidden under the ice would be three times larger than Denmark. Its area was to be 129,963 square kilometres, and the excavated underground corridors were to extend for about 4,000 kilometres. Its plans included an atomic power plant, a hospital, a movie theatre, a chapel, residential areas, a kitchen, laboratories, and supply rooms. The plans were ambitious, but ultimately, they were not fully realised.
The completed military research base was to accommodate up to 60 Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) and even 200 soldiers. The missiles were to be transported to Greenland by railway, precisely through tunnels dug under the surface and, if necessary, launched from silos hidden in the ice city. The Americans argued that Greenland is closer to the Soviet Union, and it is "only" about 8,000 kilometres from Moscow.
Why was the project ended?
"Project Iceworm" was, however, terminated in 1966. The conditions in Greenland played a significant role in the decision. The continuous movement of the ice cap threatened to damage the underground city. The Americans left the base but left behind many dangerous relics. According to the Outrider service, more than 9 tonnes of various materials, over 200,000 litres of oil, together with radioactive waste and toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were abandoned at the underground base.
The progressing melting of glaciers may cause the release of these dangerous substances and their penetration into the environment. Outrider recalls that if environmental contamination were to occur because of what was left at the Camp Century base, it would not be the USA's first such case in Greenland. In 1968, near the Thule Air Base, an American B-52 bomber with four hydrogen bombs crashed. They did not detonate, but radioactive substances leaked from the warheads, leading to environmental contamination.
The disaster severely strained relations between the USA and Denmark. It turned out that the Americans did not respect the treaty signed by Denmark in 1957, which stated that it was a nuclear-free country and prohibited any presence of nuclear weapons on its territory. Despite this, the Americans routinely flew over Greenland with aeroplanes carrying nuclear weapons.
