A consortium of Finnish and Canadian companies is planning to build two Arctic Security Cutter (ASC) icebreakers for the U.S. Coast Guard and deliver them by the end of 2028, well ahead of the larger icebreakers currently being built in the U.S.
Per reports, Finland’s Rauma Marine Construction (RMC) is leading the proposal and has teamed up with Canadian shipbuilder Seaspan. RMC would build the ships using Seaspan’s Multi-Purpose Icebreaker (MPI) design under a licensing agreement. Finnish engineering firm Aker Arctic, which originally worked on the MPI design, would also be involved in the project.
RMC’s CEO Mika Nieminen recently returned from the U.S. after high-level talks regarding the project. His visit came shortly before the U.S. Congress passed a massive budget bill that included close to $9 billion for expanding the Coast Guard’s icebreaker fleet.
The talks focused on technical details, RMC’s ability to carry out the construction, and contract discussions. According to sources,
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