Icebreaker Aiviq, now renamed to Storis, at the Tampa Ship LLC yard. (Source: gCaptain via swim_hour)
By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) –
A week after Aiviq arrived at Tampa Ship LLC in Florida a new set of photos shows the vessel fully repainted in U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker red. The transom at the stern of the ship reveals the vessel’s likely new name: Storis.
The name carries historical significance for the Coast Guard. The original USCGC Storis operated as a light icebreaker and medium endurance cutter. At the time of her decommissioning in 2007 Storis had been in service for more than 64 years making her the oldest vessel in the service’s fleet.
During World War 2 the cutter patrolled the Arctic waters around Greenland to interdict the establishment of German weather stations. Storis also escorted supply convoys in the waters around Newfoundland. Following the war the vessel was homeported in Kodiak, Alaska from where she conducted patrols of the Bering Strait and collected early hydrographic data of the Arctic Ocean.
The new Storis will join the USCG’s fleet as a medium icebreaker after a planned 18 months conversion to bolster the U.S.’ presence in the Arctic at a time of increased geopolitical and economic activity in the region.
A joint Russian-Chinese patrol passed in proximity to Alaska for the first time this summer. The vessel will be homeported in Juneau, Alaska and the Coast Guard expects her to be mission-ready in the spring of 2026.
Additional photos show Storis with hull number “21”, continuing the sequence set by existing medium icebreaker Healy with designation WAGB-20. The WAGB hull classification (Coast Guard Arctic Glacier Breaker) is used for the Coast Guard’s Arctic & Great Lakes Icebreakers.
In contrast the upcoming generation of Polar Security Cutters will carry hull designation WMSP, standing for Coast Guard Maritime Security-Polar, possibly to reflect their more security and defense-oriented posture.
The USCG formally acquired Aiviq last week in a $125m deal with Offshore Surface Vessels LLC, part of Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO). The idea to purchase a commercially available icebreaker to temporarily address a gap in U.S. icebreaking capabilities was first floated in 2015. Congress allocated funds for the acquisition earlier this year.
The Coast Guard media relations office did not immediately reply to confirm the new name of the vessel.
Join the gCaptain Club for curated content, insider opinions, and vibrant community discussions.
Join the 109,892 members that receive our newsletter.
Have a news tip? Let us know.
The U.S. Coast Guard’s Bahrain-baed Sentinel-class fast response cutter Glen Harris (WPC 1144) successfully intercepted and seized illicit narcotics valued at $4.6 million in international waters on November 25. The...
Taiwan raised its alert level on Monday saying China has set up seven zones of reserved airspace and deployed naval fleets and coast guard boats in what a security source described as the first military drills across a broad swathe of the region's waters.
MANILA, Dec 6 (Reuters) – Relations between Manila and Beijing have soured under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, with Manila pivoting back towards the United States which supports the Southeast Asian nation...
Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.
Sign Up
Maritime and offshore news trusted by our 109,892 members delivered daily straight to your inbox.
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
