U.S. Icebreaker Healy Wraps up Four-Month Patrol of Arctic, Countering Growing Chinese Presence U.S. Coast Guard icebreakersHealyandStorisconducted 129-day and 112-day Arctic deployments this summer. A substantial presence increase over previous summers. Both vessels monitored growing vessel activity in the region with five Chinese research vessels operating in the waters around Alaska.
Finland’s Stubb To Meet Trump in Washington DC To Push Icebreaker Deal for Coast Guard After several months of calm the topic of Finnish icebreaker for the U.S. Coast Guard appears set to come to the forefront again with both Finland’s Prime Minister and President meeting with U.S. President Trump in Washington DC thursday. Finland has been pitching its icebreaker construction expertise for months as the U.S. is looking to expand its fleet.
U.S. Coast Guard Moves Forward with Proposed 4-mile-wide Arctic Shipping Corridor Near Alaska The U.S. Coast Guard and partnering federal agencies plan to organize shipping activity along a designated corridor to protect the marine environment and local communities. The route would lead from Western Alaska in the Bering Strait to the U.S.-Canada border in the Beaufort Sea. Survey work carried out by icebreakerHealyhelps inform the exact routing of the corridor.
Several Chinese Research Vessels Monitored by US Coast Guard off Alaska On Friday, the US Coast Guard announced that it was monitoring five Chinese research vessels operating in or close to American Arctic waters.
Finnish and Canadian Firms Partner with American Shipyard to Pitch Icebreaker Design for U.S. Coast Guard Within weeks of securing funding to build around a half dozen new icebreakers several U.S. shipyards as well as builders in Canada and Finland have thrown their hats in the ring to construct the new vessels for the U.S. Coast Guard. The capabilities of the different icebreaker designs and political considerations will likely determine which consortium is awarded a contract.
U.S. Looking to Acquire ‘Fennica’ Icebreaker from Finland, Order Several New Ones The U.S. government is in negotiations to purchase several icebreakers from Finland, including construction of new vessels and possibly the 33-year oldFennica.The news follows ongoing developments in the global icebreaker market with both Canadian and Finnish yards recently launching new projects.
Alaska Congresswoman Wants U.S. Congress to Fund Icebreakers The US Coast Guard icebreaker program is far behind the original timeline. U.S. Congresswoman for Alaska, Mary Peltola, urges the US Congress to fund icebreakers in Alaska to meet the increased Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic.
“Icebreaking Gap” Will Require Coast Guard to Acquire Commercial Icebreaker Says New US Arctic Plan A new implementation plan for the US Coast Guard’s Arctic strategy clears a path for acquisition of a commercial icebreaker to overcome the “icebreaking capacity gap.” The report also calls for expanded exercises and operations in the Arctic, which in conjunction with a new White House Arctic plan may indicate plans for a future Freedom of Navigation Operation in the region.
USA's Largest Icebreaker to Northern Norway in October The US's largest coast guard ship and icebreaker,USCGC Healy, will arrive in Tromsø at the beginning of October.
USA's Largest Icebreaker to Northern Norway in October The US's largest coast guard ship and icebreaker,USCGC Healy, will arrive in Tromsø at the beginning of October.
Russian Government Vessel Continues to Follow US Coast Guard Icebreaker on Northern Sea Route Russian survey vesselAkademik Nemchinovsteamed from the port of Pevek toward USCGCHealyand has been following its track for the past 48 hours. The US icebreaker continues on its science mission sailing in the East Siberian Sea.
US Coast Guard Icebreaker Sails in Proximity to Russia’s Northern Sea Route A US science mission has taken Coast Guard icebreakerHealyinto the East Siberian Sea in proximity to cargo vessels transiting Russia’s Arctic waters. Automatic Identification System data suggest the vessel has entered what Russia considers the waters of its Northern Sea Route, though experts caution that it is too early to draw conclusions.
Steel Cutting for New US Icebreaker Begins, But Delays Continue to Stack Up Says New Government Report The US Coast Guard icebreaker program continues to move forward, albeit far behind the original timeline. Steel cutting on prototype modules began earlier this month, but a new Government Accountability Office report pushes readiness of the first vessel into 2028 – with additional delays possible.
No Delivery Date As Timeline For New US Coast Guard Icebreaker Continues to Slip The US Coast Guard does not currently have a date for completion of the new heavy icebreaker. Compounding delays could push delivery toward the end of this decade, or possibly beyond.
New US Icebreaker Delayed Until 2027, Russia Orders 6th and 7th Nuclear Icebreaker The United States’ new polar-class icebreaker faces further delays pushing delivery from the original timeline for 2024 into 2027. The Coast Guard is now looking to purchase an existing commercial icebreaker for $150m to bridge the gap. Meanwhile, Russia’s Rosatom signed construction contracts for two more nuclear icebreakers.
US Coast Guard Cutter Returns After 97-day Mission in the Arctic During a three-month long deployment, a US Coast Guard Cutter has patrolled the maritime boundary line between the US and Russia, as well as U.S.-Canadian MBL in the Arctic Ocean. As more ships and people move into the region, the Coast Guard will be present, says Coast Guard Captain.
US Coast Guard Ships Encountered Chinese Warships Near the Aleutians The US Coast Guard observed four Chinese warships sailing off Alaska, near the Aleutian Islands.
U.S. Looking to Acquire 10 Additional Icebreakers, Possibly from Finland Following controversial remarks about “buying Greenland” last year, President Trump again offers off the cuff comments about U.S. policy in the region suggesting the country will get ten new icebreakers.
US Coast Guard Requests Funding for Second New Icebreaker A year after securing funding for its first new heavy icebreaker in over 40 years, the 2021 Coast Guard budget includes $555 million for a second one.
U.S. Renews Warning Against China in Arctic, Releases New Details on Icebreaker Just days after Secretary of State Pompeo warned about Russia’s and China’s activity in the Arctic during the Arctic Council meeting, U.S. military officials renewed comments about security threats in the region. The U.S. Coast Guard aims to respond to those challenges with a fleet of new icebreakers.
What the new US Coast Guard Strategy tells us about the Arctic anno 2019 The US Coast Guard’s ‘Vision’ for the Arctic walks the line between proposing clear-cut solutions to some US capacity problems in the North and sounding the alarm about a potentially critical geopolitical situation for the US if nothing is done to address its Arctic challenges.
Dark Skies for America’s Future Icebreaker Fleet A new report published by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) casts a dark cloud over the icy shimmer of hope that the Coast Guard will be able to deliver on its 2023 icebreaker promise.
US and Russia Propose Two-Way Shipping Routes in Bering Sea The United States and Russia jointly propose a routing system for vessels passing through the Bering Strait and Bering Sea.
US Coast Guard Awards $20 Million in Icebreaker Design Contracts Shipbuilders asked to identify ways to cut costs, speed up construction.
