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US Coast Guard to Get 11 New Icebreakers Under Strategic Deal With Finland
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The United States and Finland have signed a landmark agreement for the US Coast Guard to acquire up to 11 new icebreaker vessels, strengthening US national security and Arctic capabilities, Reuters reported on October 10.
US President Donald Trump and Finnish President Alexander Stubb finalized the deal at the White House on October 9. The memorandum of understanding sets the framework for cooperation between the US Coast Guard and Finnish shipbuilders, combining Finnish expertise with American production capacity.
Under the agreement, Finland will build four “Arctic Security Cutters” at its shipyards, while the US will construct up to seven additional vessels domestically using Finnish designs and technology.
“We’re buying the finest icebreakers in the world, and Finland is known for making them,” Trump said while meeting with Stubb in the Oval Office.
Stubb described the deal as a “huge strategic decision” by Trump, adding, “We all know that the Arctic is important strategically.”
According to a White House official, the 11 medium-class Arctic Security Cutters are expected to cost around $6.1 billion in total. Three will be built by Davie Shipbuilding in Galveston, Texas, and four by Bollinger Shipyards in Houma, Louisiana. The first delivery is scheduled for 2028, with the program expected to create thousands of skilled jobs and generate billions in investment for the US maritime sector.
Trump also reaffirmed US defense commitments to Finland as a NATO ally, saying Washington would defend the country if Russian leader Vladimir Putin were to order an attack, though he added, “I don’t think he’s going to do that.”
Stubb told Reuters that Moscow does not pose an “imminent military threat,” but agreed that Western deterrence must be strengthened.
“I think people are waking up to the reality that we need to strengthen our deterrence so that a conflict (with Russia) will not be possible,” he said.
Earlier, Russia’s Navy officially commissioned the Ivan Papanin, the lead vessel of the Project 23550 patrol icebreaker class, during a ceremony in Severomorsk.\
Designed by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau, the ship combines the functions of a patrol vessel, tug, and icebreaker—giving Moscow a versatile dual-use platform for both military and logistical operations in Arctic waters.
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