Page 20: of Marine News Magazine (September 2026)

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Shipbuilding

Rebuilding the U.S. Icebreaking Fleet

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Of? cer 2nd Class Briana Carter

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) transits the Puget Sound enroute to

Coast Guard Base Seattle following a 146- day Antarctic deployment in support of Op- eration Deep Freeze, April 13, 2026. The

Polar Star is the United States’ only surface asset capable of providing year-round ac-

An Update on cess to both Polar Regions. It is a 13,500- ton, 399 x 84-ft. heavy polar icebreaker with a 34-ft. draft, commissioned in 1976.

Plans for the

U.S.’s ICEBREAKING FLEET

By Philip Lewis, Research Director Intelatus Global Partners he U.S. is expanding its icebreaking ? eet to iel B. Palmer and Laurence M. Gould are currently idle strengthen Arctic and domestic access, and sup- following lease cancellations, while a proposed ~$1 billion port commercial shipping, seabed resources, sub- Antarctic Research Vessel remains unfunded. Given the sea cables and ? sheries. Current plans include 1–3 long lead time for new icebreakers, the Coast Guard is ex-

T heavy Polar Security Cutters (PSCs), 11 medium Arctic tending existing vessels through its In-Service Sustainment

Security Cutters (ASCs), seven Homeland Security Cutter Program, including completing Polar Star’s life extension in (HSC) HSC-L (light) icebreakers, 11 HSC-Ms (medium) 2025, extending Healy from 2026–2029, and completing and one additional heavy HSC-H (heavy). But as delays 15-year extensions for the nine Bay-class vessels in 2023.

and cost overruns on the Polar Security Cutter (PSC) Pro- gram shows, while major opportunities exist for the U.S. Planning for a Larger Fleet supply chain in icebreaking construction and sustainment, The February 2026 Maritime Action Plan (MAP) calls many challenges also exist with the complex projects. for further polar capability, while an October 2025 Presi- dential Memorandum identi? ed insuf? cient icebreaking

Extending the Service Lives of Existing Vessels capacity as a national-security risk and supported building

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) operates a up to four ASCs in Finland. small, aging icebreaking ? eet comprising Polar Star (heavy Under a December 2025 agreement, Bollinger and Rauma polar icebreaker, built 1992), medium polar icebreakers Marine Constructions (RMC) will build six ASCs, with two

Storis (built 1992) and Healy (built 1999), Antarctic re- delivered from Finland in 2028 and four from the U.S. from search vessel Sikuliaq (built 2014), nine 140-foot Bay-class 2029. The ? nal delivery is scheduled for 2031. The ~$3.3 inland icebreakers (built between 1979 and 1988) and billion contract was ? nalized in early July 2026. Seaspan-

Great Lakes heavy icebreaker Mackinaw (2006 built). The Railotech (formerly Aker Arctic) is supplying its proven MPI

Edison Chouest-owned Antarctic research vessels Nathan- design and project management, which, in theory addresses 20 | MN September 2026