US, Finland agree to build 11 icebreakers in Arctic security push
Baku, October 10, AZERTAC
The US and Finland are set to build 11 icebreakers together under a joint plan announced by President Donald Trump and his Finnish counterpart Alexander Stubb at the White House on Thursday, according to Financial Times. A memorandum of understanding signed by the two leaders during their meeting in Washington will entail Finnish shipyards building four icebreakers, with the first set to be delivered in 2028. Seven more would then be built in the US with assistance from Finland, one of the world’s leading producers of the ships. “Nobody makes them like Finland,” Trump said as he announced the pact at the White House. Trump has sought to expand the US’s fleet of icebreakers as the melting Arctic ice cap has opened the door to increased geopolitical tensions in the region. Rising global temperatures have opened up shipping lanes, but icebreakers are required to clear a path for other vessels. He has repeatedly complained about the difficulty of scaling up the US’s fleet of large ice-smashing vessels. He has previously said he would like to acquire as many as 40 new icebreakers.
Under US law all naval and coastguard ships are required to be built domestically, but the country has struggled to keep pace as it seeks to compete with Russia and China in the Arctic. The US coastguard commissioned an icebreaker in August, the first in more than 25 years. It has three ice cutters in operation, while Russia is thought to have about 40. Three of the vessels announced on Thursday were expected to be built by Davie in Galveston, Texas, and four by Bollinger Shipyards in Houma, Louisiana, a White House official confirmed. Trump has long pledged to boost American interests in Arctic security.
The Nordic country has already signed a deal with Canada to build the hull of a new icebreaker. The US president has forged a good working relationship with his Finnish counterpart since returning to the White House in January.
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