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5h ago

Trump, Stubb to Sign Icebreaker Pact Buying Up to 4 in Finland, Building 7 in U.S.

The plan invokes national security to allow foreign construction, channeling Finnish design into U.S. yards.

Image
A view of flags of the U.S. and Finland before the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto sign a joint statement of Finland and the United States on cooperation in advanced wireless communications (6G) at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Helsinki, Finland, June 2, 2023. Lehtikuva/via REUTERS

Overview

  • A White House memorandum of understanding outlines four Arctic Security Cutters to be built in Finland followed by up to seven assembled in American shipyards with Finnish expertise.
  • Officials estimate the 11-ship program at about $6.1 billion for new medium icebreakers for the U.S. Coast Guard.
  • Three vessels are slated for Davie in Galveston, Texas, and four for Bollinger Shipyards in Houma, Louisiana.
  • The first delivery is targeted for 2028, with projections of billions in U.S. maritime investment and thousands of skilled trades jobs.
  • The administration cites national security to bypass past Jones Act barriers as the Coast Guard operates only two polar-capable cutters today.