Bollinger Teams Up With Global Powerhouses to Fast-Track Icebreaker Production for U.S. Coast Guard

Louisiana-based Bollinger Shipyards has joined forces with Rauma Shipyards of Finland, Seaspan Shipyards of Canada, and Aker Arctic Technology Inc. to form a strategic partnership aimed at building the next generation of Arctic Security Cutters (ASCs) for the U.S. Coast Guard—marking the latest bid to fast-track American icebreaker construction.

The coalition brings together some of the world’s foremost experts in icebreaker design, engineering, and production to deliver a proven, mission-ready Arctic Security Cutter in just 36 months from contract award—meeting the Coast Guard’s urgent need for Arctic capability and aligning with President Trump’s “America First” shipbuilding priorities.

“In line with President Trump’s directive to grow and modernize America’s icebreaking fleet, Bollinger is proud to lead this partnership with a focus on speed, quality, certainty and results,” said Bollinger CEO Ben Bordelon.

The proposed design, known as the Aker ARC 146 design, is based on the production-ready Seaspan-Aker Multi-Purpose Icebreaker (MPI), featuring an ice-strengthened hull exceeding Polar Class 4 requirements, which exceeds all U.S. Coast Guard ASC requirements. Capable of breaking four feet of ice, sailing 12,000 nautical miles, and operating for more than 60 days, the vessel is optimized for the Coast Guard’s statutory missions. It also shares a common platform with Canada’s future icebreaker fleet—enhancing interoperability and creating what could become the world’s largest class of multi-mission icebreakers.

Under the proposal, the first two vessels will be constructed in Finland at Rauma Shipyards within 36 months, with subsequent vessels built in the United States. 

“Speculative designs can derail programs, delay delivery and devastate shipyards,” said Bordelon. “The Seaspan-Aker MPI design is the most mature, construction-ready design available. With over 4,000 skilled workers and 30+ facilities across the U.S., no one is better positioned to move fast and deliver.”

The partnership is anchored in the ICE Pact—a trilateral shipbuilding agreement signed last year between the U.S., Canada, and Finland to accelerate icebreaker production in response to Russia and China’s growing presence in the region. The pact enables design transfers, technology sharing, and cross-border industrial coordination, considered critical to expediting production without compromising capability.

“This collaboration presents a unique opportunity to apply our proven capabilities in support of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Arctic mission,” said Mika Nieminen, CEO of Finland’s Rauma Shipyards. “We bring a mature design, ready-to-go production lines, and decades of success building Arctic-class vessels.”

Seaspan CEO John McCarthy echoed the urgency. “Together, through the ICE Pact, we’re strengthening Arctic security and advancing the long-term capabilities of our nations’ shipbuilding industries.”

As a prime contractor in Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), Seaspan is currently constructing one heavy polar-class icebreaker (Polar Class 2) for the Canadian Coast Guard, with construction beginning in April 2025. The company also oversees the production of multi-purpose medium icebreakers and plans to build up to 16 MPVs under the program, with the first delivery expected in 2028.

Aker Arctic, the world’s leading designer of ice-capable vessels, will supply the technical foundation. “This partnership highlights our commitment to maritime security and innovation in the Arctic,” said CEO Mika Hovilainen. “The vessel is built on Canadian requirements but includes capabilities essential for U.S. missions. We’ve tested every system for ice before it hits the water.”

The Bollinger-led partnership enters a crowded field of potential ASC bidders, each racing to answer the Coast Guard’s April RFI calling for construction of medium-sized icebreakers within a short 36 months time-frame using existing vessel designs and shipyard capabilities. That timeline is ambitious—especially given that the only heavy U.S. icebreaker under construction, the novel Polar Security Cutter (PSC) being built by Bollinger, is not expected until 2030, with costs ballooning from $745 million to $1.9 billion.

President Trump’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill allocates funding for some 17 new icebreakers for the U.S. Coast Guard, including $3.5 billion for three Arctic Security Cutters (medium-to-heavy), $816 million for light and medium icebreaking cutters, and $4.3 billion for Polar Security Cutters (heavy icebreakers).

Earlier this year, Bollinger and Edison Chouest Offshore also formed the United Shipbuilding Alliance (USA), proposing a 33-month delivery timeline using commercial vessel construction models and highlighting their rapid conversion of the former Shell Arctic icebreaker Aiviq (now USCGC Storis) for Coast Guard use.

The new partnership also comes as fellow NSS shipbuilder Davie is planning to acquire shipbuilding assets in Texas to help address America’s critical icebreaker shortage. In March, Davie was awarded a major contract to construct a new polar icebreaker for the Canadian Government, with delivery expected by 2030. The vessel, dubbed the Polar Max, will leverage expertise from Helsinki Shipyard, one of the world’s leading icebreaker manufacturers, which Davie acquired in 2023.

The stakes are high. With Russia expanding its Arctic presence and China now deploying its own icebreaking fleet, the U.S. has just three operational Arctic icebreakers—Polar Star (commissioned in 1976), Healy (1999), and the recently-converted Storis. The U.S. Coast Guard estimates it needs at least eight or nine icebreakers to ensure year-round access and maritime dominance in the polar regions.

With today’s announcement, Bollinger and its global partners are offering a fast-track solution backed by proven results and international cooperation—one that may finally deliver the icebreaking fleet America has long promised but failed to build.

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