Coast Guard to expand icebreaker fleet with 11 Arctic Security Cutters

The U.S. Coast Guard announced a contract award to secure five Arctic Security Cutters, bringing the total amount of cutters being manufactured to 11 to meet President Donald Trump’s executive orders to expand the icebreaker fleet.

The contract award, announced Wednesday, will see Davie Defense, Inc. manufacture two Arctic Security Cutters in Helsinki, Finland, and produce three in the United States. It follows two December awards to Rauma Marine Constructions Oy in Finland and Bollinger Shipyards Lockport, L.L.C. in Louisiana for six cutters of the same type.

The awards meet goals set out in a Presidential Memorandum signed by Trump in October for the production of up to four Arctic Security Cutters abroad to meet a gap in existing icebreaker vessels.

“These awards represent decisive action to guarantee American security in the Arctic,” Adm. Kevin E. Lunday, acting commandant of the Coast Guard, said in a statement.

“The Arctic Security Cutters will deliver the essential capability to uphold U.S. sovereignty against adversaries’ aggressive economic and military actions in the Arctic. These cutters will ensure the Coast Guard’s ability to control, secure, and defend our northern border and maritime approaches — without question.”

The announcement also follows the Coast Guard’s investment of $323 million to renovate its base in Seattle, Washington, for modern icebreaker facilities.

As of last summer, the Coast Guard was operating with a lone heavy polar icebreaker, the USCGC Polar Star, and a single medium polar icebreaker, the USCGC Healy. The Polar Star is about five decades old and the Healy has been put out of action due to an electrical fire.

The lack of functioning icebreakers, in light of incursions by Russian and Chinese vessels, prompted the Department of Homeland Security last May to approve production of the service’s first polar security cutter to be built in nearly fifty years.