January 7, 2026

U.S. Icebreaker Build Plan Moves Forward at Warp Speed

Image courtesy Seaspan
Image courtesy Seaspan

The quest to rebuild the U.S. iceabreaking fleet continues to move at lightening speed, with Seaspan Shipyards (Seaspan) signing agreements with Bollinger Shipyards (Bollinger) and Rauma Marine Constructions Oy (Rauma) to provide its Multi-Purpose Icebreaker (MPI) design and associated supply chain packages to enable rapid construction and delivery of up to six vessels for the U.S. Coast Guard’s Arctic Security Cutter (ASC) program.

Rauma will build up to two vessels in Finland with delivery expected in 2028 under the contracts formally announced by the U.S. Coast Guard last week. Bollinger will construct up to four cutters in the U.S; the first U.S.-built vessel is expected in 2029.

Seaspan’s MPI design ... originally designed for the Canadian Coast Guard’s (CCG) long-range, multi-mission operations in extreme Arctic conditions ... was developed in partnership with Aker Arctic Technology Inc. of Finland (Aker) and under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), is ready for production enabling construction on the ASC program to begin immediately.

Image courtesy Seaspan

Design and engineering of the MPI was completed almost entirely in Canada.

Seaspan has also already selected many of the program’s system and equipment suppliers as a part of that process. “The MPI design is a true success story under Canada’s NSS,” Seaspan Shipyards’ CEO John McCarthy said. “The interoperability resulting from a common design and supply chain between the Canadian and American coast guard fleets will create countless opportunities for collaboration throughout the vessels’ operational lives, aligning with the greater goals outlined in the trilateral ICE Pact framework and generating significant lifecycle cost savings for both countries.”

Seaspan’s current orderbook includes the largest portfolio of icebreaking vessels in the world under the NSS including a PC2 heavy polar icebreaker and up to 16 Multi-Purpose Icebreakers. The MPI design was completed almost entirely in Canada by Seaspan’s world-class icebreaker design team. Seaspan has already delivered four ice-capable vessels for Canada under the NSS. Its most recent delivery was of the CCG’s Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel completed in 2025.