An Update on Plans for the U.S.’s Icebreaking Fleet

The U.S. is expanding its icebreaking fleet to strengthen Arctic and domestic access, and support commercial shipping, seabed resources, subsea cables and fisheries. Current plans include 1–3 heavy Polar Security Cutters (PSCs), 11 medium Arctic Security Cutters (ASCs), seven Homeland Security Cutter (HSC) HSC-L (light) icebreakers, 11 HSC-Ms (medium) and one additional heavy HSC-H (heavy). But as delays and cost overruns on the Polar Security Cutter (PSC) Program shows, while major opportunities exist for the U.S. supply chain in icebreaking construction and sustainment, many challenges also exist with the complex projects.

Extending the Service Lives of Existing Vessels

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) operates a small, aging icebreaking fleet comprising Polar Star (heavy polar icebreaker, built 1992), medium polar icebreakers Storis (built 1992) and Healy (built 1999), Antarctic research vessel Sikuliaq (built 2014), nine 140-foot Bay-class inland icebreakers (built between 1979 and 1988) and Great Lakes heavy icebreaker Mackinaw (2006 built). The Edison Chouest-owned Antarctic research vessels Nathaniel B. Palmer and Laurence M. Gould are currently idle following lease cancellations, while a proposed ~$1 billion Antarctic Research Vessel remains unfunded. Given the long lead time for new icebreakers, the Coast Guard is extending existing vessels through its In-Service Sustainment Program, including completing Polar Star’s life extension in 2025, extending Healy from 2026–2029, and completing 15-year extensions for the nine Bay-class vessels in 2023.

Planning for a Larger Fleet

The February 2026 Maritime Action Plan (MAP) calls for further polar capability, while an October 2025 Presidential Memorandum identified insufficient icebreaking capacity as a national-security risk and supported building up to four ASCs in Finland.

Under a December 2025 agreement, Bollinger and Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) will build six ASCs, with two delivered from Finland in 2028 and four from the U.S. from 2029. The final delivery is scheduled for 2031. The ~$3.3 billion contract was finalized in early July 2026. Seaspan-Railotech (formerly Aker Arctic) is supplying its proven MPI design and project management, which, in theory addresses some of the lessons learnt from the PSC program delays.

Davie Defense companies Helsinki Shipyard (Finland) and Davie Gulf Copper Galveston (USA) will respectively build two and three ASCs. In an effort to use commercially available and proven designs, Helsinki Shipyard is supplying the Multi-Purpose Support Ship (MPPS) design for the project. The $3.5 billion contract was finalized in May 2026. The first vessel is scheduled to be delivered in 2028, with all five vessels delivered by February 2035.

The PSC program continues to face major delays and cost growth (see next section): the lead ship’s cost target has risen to $3.4 billion, while delivery has been delayed by nine years.

The Coast Guard also issued a June 2026 RFP for seven HSC-Ls to replace its aging 65-foot icebreaking tugs with dual-purpose platforms capable of operating year-round in smaller ports across the Great Lakes and Northeast and Mid-Atlantic coastal waters, from Maine to Virginia, including the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays and adjacent navigable waterways, and varying ice conditions while providing aids-to-navigation services.
 Plans for 11 HSC-Ms will replace the 140-foot Bay-class fleet, to provide icebreaking, maritime safety and security, and missions such as search and rescue across the Great Lakes and Atlantic coast.

The Coast Guard is also proposing the construction of one additional homeland security cutter-heavy icebreaker (HSC-H) to complement Mackinaw in keeping Great Lakes shipping channels open and mitigating ice-related disruptions.

Whilst the ASC program focuses on rapid delivery of proven icebreaker designs leveraging world class overseas icebreaker construction capabilities, the challenge for the USCG remains how to embed lessons learnt from the PSC program into the HSC-L, -M, and -H programs.

Delays and Cost Overruns on the PSC Program

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), “DHS Annual Assessment: Dynamic Environment Affects Efforts to Manage Acquisition Risks” report, published June 9, 2026, highlighted significant cost, schedule and design risks in the Polar Security Cutter (PSC) program, originally baselined in 2018 and awarded to VT Halter Marine, now Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding, in 2019.

Following revisions in 2021 and 2022, the Coast Guard raised the lead PSC’s (Polar Sentinel) cost target to $3.4 billion. Originally planned for delivery in 2024 the lead PSC’s delivery is delayed delivery to March 2033. nine years later than planned. The original full operational date was scheduled for September 2029 and has been revised to March 2039.

According to the GAO, cost growth reflects poor program management, limited visibility, design delays, inexperience, COVID-19 and inflation, while further risks include workforce expansion, incomplete design and the absence of a joint baseline review. The GAO review points out that revised schedule remains subject to significant risks, including a construction period of up to eight years, a planned 40% workforce increase at the shipyard by mid-2026, and the absence of a joint baseline review with the shipbuilder.

The lead ship’s contract value subsequently increased by nearly $1 billion, while costs for PSCs 2 and 3 (tentatively named Polar Bear & Polar Glacier) remain under negotiation. $4.3 billion in One Big Beautiful Budget Act funding is expected to cover the first two ships and long-lead materials for the third.