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The National Science Foundation (NSF) has responsibility for the management, funding, and operation of the United States Antarctic Program (USAP), the U.S. national research program in Antarctica. The program is multifaceted, having international obligations under the Antarctic Treaty, providing grantees funding for Antarctic scientific research, and providing the necessary operational and logistical support to researchers to execute their programs. The latter includes building, maintaining, and operating all research stations, camps, and other facilities, and operating two research vessels, ski-equipped C-130 airplanes, and helicopters. The paper will examine some of USAP's logistical and operational challenges. For example, for 4 of the last 5 seasons the Program has used U.S. Air Force C-5B airplanes to deliver cargo such as helicopters and Twin Otter airplanes to McMurdo Station sea-ice runway at the beginning of the season. USAP has no concrete runway in Antarctica.

The United States Antarctic Program implements the U.S. policy of an active and influential presence in Antarctica. The principal expression of this policy is through the conduct of scientific research. This paper describes recent changes in the logistics structure necessary to support the scientific program. It also describes several improvements in communications, highlights accomplishments of the Antarctic Aeronomy and Astrophysics program, and presents a status report on the South Pole Redevelopment Project.