The article reviews the history of studies of ice‐drift patterns in the Arctic Ocean, fromFram'sdrift in 1893–96, through the drift ofGeorgiy Sedovin 1937–40 and that of Papanin'sSevernyy Polyus‐1to the present‐day deployment of automatic weather beacons (DARMS). Since 1975 ADRAMS (Air‐Droppable Remote Access Measuring System) buoys have been widely deployed by the Americans; the specifications and capabilities of these buoys are presented in detail. In 1979 18 ADRAMS buoys were deployed in a net with an approximate spacing of 500 km as part of the First Global Experiment Project (FGGE). The position of the buoy, air pressure, and temperature were transmitted via a TIROS‐N satellite between 8 and 18 times per day. The buoys continued to transmit for up to 451 days, during which time they drifted an average distance of 860 km. A map of the drift patterns of the buoys is presented. Results of statistical analysis of these patterns will follow.