Six icebreakers! The U.S.-Finland joint shipbuilding project officially gets underway.

Recently, the U.S. Coast Guard announced the signing of two contracts to build up to six Arctic Security Cutters (ASCs) under a U.S.-Finland cooperation framework, aimed at rapidly enhancing U.S. operational capabilities in polar regions.

According to the contract, Finland’s Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) shipyard will build up to two icebreakers, with the first vessel expected to be delivered in 2028. Meanwhile, the U.S.-based Bollinger Shipyards will construct up to four icebreakers at its facility in Louisiana, and the first U.S.-built icebreaker is scheduled for delivery in 2029.

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem stated: “The United States has been an Arctic nation for over 150 years, and under President Trump’s leadership, we’ve finally begun to demonstrate the posture we deserve. Our adversaries continue to seek to expand their presence in the Arctic, and equipping the Coast Guard with icebreakers designed for Arctic safety will help reestablish U.S. maritime dominance in the polar regions.”

The aforementioned contract stems from the “ICE Pact,” signed in July 2024 by the United States, Canada, and Finland, with the aim of countering China’s and Russia’s activities in the Arctic region and accelerating the construction of icebreakers.

The icebreaker to be built under this agreement will have an overall length of approximately 112 meters, a molded breadth of about 23.77 meters, and a draft of no more than 7 meters. It is designed to break through ice up to 4 feet (about 1.2 meters) thick, with an endurance of up to 12,000 nautical miles (about 22,200 kilometers), and can operate continuously for over 60 days. This vessel will adopt a common design platform shared with Canada’s future icebreaker fleet, thereby enhancing interoperability and joint operational capabilities among allied nations.

Among these, the four icebreakers built by Bollinger will be based at the Houma shipyard in Louisiana. At the same time, labor from multiple facilities along the Gulf Coast will be mobilized to meet President Trump’s request to accelerate delivery timelines.

Ben Bordelon, President and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards, stated: “With Houma as our core and supported by a broader industrial footprint, we are able to maintain the flexibility and capability to rapidly advance projects without compromising safety or quality. These vessels will operate in some of the harshest environments on Earth, and it is our responsibility to deliver a stable and reliable platform that Coast Guard personnel can rely on—from their very first deployment all the way through the decades ahead.”

Mika Nieminen, CEO of Rauma Marine Constructions, stated: “Securing this contract is a historic milestone—a significant vote of confidence in RMC and the Finnish maritime industry network. Leveraging our strong technical expertise and ability to deliver on time, we’ve won this crucial order. Our rapid delivery capability makes us the most cost-effective choice in the market. Now is the time to prove our strength and demonstrate to all stakeholders that we are truly trustworthy. Our goal is crystal clear: execute tasks with utmost rigor, manage risks meticulously, and deliver two icebreakers as well as two patrol vessels capable of operating from day one in the world’s harshest marine environments.”

Finnish Minister of Economic Affairs Sakari Puisto added: “Finnish shipyards build some of the world’s finest icebreakers and the largest cruise ships. The recent order received by RMC Shipyard for icebreakers is a major boost for Finland and the entire maritime industry. This order will strengthen Finnish companies’ position in the global value chain, enhance Finland’s competitiveness, and increase export revenues.”

The United States urgently needs to build new icebreakers to modernize its fleet. Currently, the U.S. Coast Guard operates only three ocean-going icebreakers: the heavy-duty icebreaker USCGC Polar Star, which entered service in 1976; the medium-duty icebreaker USCGC Healy, which entered service in 1999; and the icebreaker USCGC Storis, which was recently converted from a commercial vessel and put into service. According to a Coast Guard assessment, at least nine Arctic-capable icebreakers are needed to ensure U.S. national security interests in the Arctic region year-round.

Last October, an international consortium led by Bollinger Shipyards won the bid to design and build six icebreakers for the U.S. Coast Guard. The team comprises Bollinger Shipyards, Finland’s Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC), Canada’s Seaspan Shipyard, and the Finnish design firm Aker Arctic Technology. The consortium will utilize a multipurpose icebreaker design—jointly developed by Seaspan and Aker Arctic—that is already ready for mass production and tailored for mission execution in the harsh polar environment.

In recent years, the geopolitical importance of the Arctic region has continued to rise. Previously, Trump explicitly stated his desire to place the Arctic once again at the top of U.S. priorities. He pointed out that, for national security reasons, the United States needs to acquire ownership of Greenland, and at the same time, the Coast Guard will expand the size of its icebreaker fleet.

Previously, Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill” legislation, which allocates nearly 90 million U.S. dollars (approximately 64.116 billion RMB) specifically to the U.S. Coast Guard for the construction of a series of heavy, medium, and light Arctic-security icebreakers.

It is understood that this investment includes 4.3 billion U.S. dollars earmarked for the next-generation Polar Security Cutters—fully funding the construction of three heavy-duty icebreakers at Bollinger Shipyards; an additional 3.5 billion U.S. dollars will be allocated to building three Arctic Security Icebreakers and other maritime assets.