Maritime dominance requires the Coast Guard
Focusing on the Coast Guard's development can help the US match countries like China who have already moved on the trend.
Focusing on the Coast Guard's development can help the US match countries like China who have already moved on the trend.
“Revitalizing the U.S. Coast Guard’s icebreaking capabilities is crucial for our security and prosperity, and today's announcement is an important step in that direction,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
The US Coast Guard in recent months has been signaling to industry it would soon advance its Arctic Security Cutter program through a series of requests for information and discussions with vendors from multiple countries.
“We spent over two years looking at different shipyards in the US and potential acquisition targets,” Davie Defense CEO Kai Skvarla told Breaking Defense in an interview today.
“Together, the four companies represent the world’s premier icebreaker shipbuilding companies,” the shipbuilders said in a joint statement.
"The creation of the United Shipbuilding Alliance represents a significant evolution in America’s capacity to rapidly address urgent Arctic operational requirements," President and CEO of Edison Chouest Offshore Gary Chouest said in the press release.
While the Coast Guard has its eye on a smaller number of "big" icebreakers for high north operations, the service said it's looking to "replace, modernize and grow" its entire fleet, including many smaller vessels.
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The signing comes one week after Russia launched another one of its own icebreakers.
The letter, signed by Sens. Chris Murphy, Cindy Hyde-Smith and Patty Murray, calls the new security agreement "critical" and warns of Chinese investments in high north capabilities."
Russia has the world's largest icebreaker fleet, and China is investing. Here's how many icebreakers the US and its allies have - and how they intend to compete going forward.
"Without this arrangement, we'd risk our adversaries developing an advantage in a specialized technology with vast geostrategic importance," a White House official said.
Yesterday, the Coast Guard moved a 23-year-old and 106-ton engine onto a barge in Baltimore for a long trip to the West Coast.
The Coast Guard wants to operate more consistently in the Arctic, but has a fraction of the icebreakers that Moscow can deploy.