US, Canada and Finland look to build more icebreakers to counter Russia in the Arctic
WASHINGTON — The United States, Canada and Finland will work together to expand their icebreaker fleets as they seek strengthen their defenses in the Arctic, where Russia is increasingly active, the White House announced on Thursday.
The pact that was made on the NATO summit calls for better information sharing on Arctic icebreaker production, so that workers and experts from each country can receive training at shipyards in all three countries, and to encourage allies to purchase Arctic icebreakers from US, Finnish or Canadian shipyards for their own needs.
Daleep Singh, the White House deputy national security adviser for international economics, said it would bolster support opponents Russia and China that the US and allies “will continue to work together steadfastly on industrial policy to enhance our competitive edge.”
Beijing has tried to strengthen its relationship with Moscow, while much of the West has tried to do the same. Isolating Russia economically after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
“Without this arrangement, we risk giving our adversaries an edge in a specialized technology of enormous geostrategic importance, which could also make them the supplier of choice for countries that are also interested in purchasing polar icebreakers,” Singh said. “We are committed to projecting power in the high latitudes with our allies and partners. And that requires a sustained surface presence in the Arctic, both to counter Russian aggression and to limit China’s ability to gain influence.”
Singh noted that the U.S. has only two icebreakers, and both are nearing the end of their useful lives. Finland has 12 icebreakers and Canada has nine, while Russia has 36, according to U.S. Coast Guard data.
President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finnish President Alexander Stubb discussed the pact on the sidelines of this week’s summit, which focused largely on the alliance efforts to counter the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
During a February talk at RAND, Coast Guard Vice Adm. Peter Gautier said the agency has determined it needs eight to nine icebreakers — a mix of heavy polar security cutters and medium Arctic security cutters. Gautier said some test panels were being built in Mississippi, and full-scale construction of an icebreaker should begin this year.
If climate change As access to the Arctic has become easier, the need for more American icebreakers has increased, especially compared to the Russian fleet.
According to a report by the Government Accountability Office, the U.S. has not built a heavy polar icebreaker in nearly 50 years. The 399-foot Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star was commissioned in 1976, and the 420-foot Coast Guard Cutter Healy in 1999.
Building an icebreaker can be challenging as it must withstand the sheer force of breaking through ice up to 6.4 metres thick, as well as the widely varying temperatures of the sea and air, the report said.
Singh said the US, Canada and Finland would sign a memorandum of understanding before the end of the year to formalise the pact.