Vancouver Shipyard Secures Deal for U.S. Icebreaker Designs

A shipyard in Vancouver, Seaspan Shipyards, has finalized an agreement to provide the United States Coast Guard with designs for icebreakers originally developed for the Canadian Coast Guard. This deal, announced this week, includes plans for up to six icebreakers, each measuring 100 metres in length, specifically designed for operations in Arctic conditions.

The newly designed vessels will be capable of navigating through ice up to 1.2 metres thick and have an operational range of approximately 22,000 kilometres. Seaspan has been working on these multi-purpose icebreaker designs since 2020 as part of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy. Canada is already set to acquire 16 of these vessels, with the first expected to be delivered in 2030 as part of a project budgeted at $14.2 billion.

Seaspan declined to provide specific financial details regarding the agreement but noted that this marks the first export sale from a Canadian shipyard. Abigail Saxton, a spokesperson for Seaspan, highlighted that the deal will foster collaboration between Canadian and American coast guard personnel operating on a unified platform. She stated, “The MPI (multi-purpose icebreaker) establishes a single class of versatile, multi-mission, medium icebreakers for both the United States and Canada and creates the largest single class of icebreakers in the world.”

Partnerships and Delivery Timeline

The agreement is part of a collaborative effort involving U.S.-based Bollinger Shipyards, which will construct two of the icebreakers, and Finland’s Rauma Marine Constructions Oy, which is set to build the remaining four. The Finnish-built vessels are expected to be delivered to the United States in 2028, while the first icebreaker constructed in the U.S. is anticipated for delivery in 2029.

Seaspan noted that its design, developed in partnership with Finnish counterparts, was completed almost entirely in Canada, which allows for immediate commencement of construction on U.S. vessels. The U.S. Coast Guard has emphasized that these new icebreakers will enhance its capabilities in securing and defending Alaskan waters, as well as responding to emergencies in the Arctic.

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, commented on the significance of the agreement, stating, “Our adversaries continue to look to grow their presence in the Arctic. Equipping the Coast Guard with Arctic security cutters will help reassert American maritime dominance there.”

In a move to strengthen Arctic operations, last November, the federal government signed a trilateral agreement with both Finland and the United States to expand their icebreaker fleets, reinforcing their collective Arctic sovereignty. As global interest in the Arctic region grows, this partnership underscores the importance of international collaboration in addressing emerging challenges in these crucial waters.