The satellite that gives us NSIDC data is a USAF satellite - they were sent up there to give meteo data as part of USAF combat preparedness.
As you can see from its URL,
https://www7320.nrlssc.navy.mil/GLBhycomcice1-12/skill.html, Hycom is a US Navy product. I don't think they have produced it to give better data to the ASIF.
I am still surprised that the current US Administration hasn't blocked data such as this (yet) to the climate science community. Incompetence has its uses.
Reported on ASIF some time ago were US Defence reports on the vulnerability of many Naval & other military facilities from sea level rise, studiously ignored by the current White House.
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ps: HYCOM does its stuff for the Antarctic as well