U.S. Coast Guard’s New Icebreaker USCGC ‘Storis’ Transits Panama Canal en Route to Arctic

On the way to its initial Arctic deployment U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker Storis (WAGB 21) has transited through the Panama Canal. The polar class 3-equivalent vessel departed from the Bollinger Shipyards in Pascagoula, Mississippi on June 3, 2025. 

The vessel arrived near the canal’s northern entrance on June 11. After an 18-hour hold outside Limon Bay near the Gatun locks, Storis proceeded through the first set of Panama Canal locks on its route to the Pacific. The transit took around 8 hours and the vessel exited the canal through the Miraflores locks late on June 12.

U.S. military ships have been entitled to “expeditious passage through the Canal at all times” since handing-over operation of the canal to Panama in 1999. In recent months there have been ongoing tensions with the Trump Administration over control of the key waterway.

During a visit in February Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserted that Panama “[had] agreed to no longer charge fees” to U.S. government vessels passing through the canal, though he later walked back his comments and Panamanian officials denied his claims. It is unclear if or when Panama’s government plans to implement any preferential treatment for U.S. vessels.

Rubio also secured guarantees from Panama to lessen China’s influence over the canal including by exiting from a Chinese lending program.

It is not clear if Storis received a priority transit slot to pass through the canal. Traffic, especially in the southbound direction to the Pacific was light at the time with the canal authority’s website indicating just a half-day wait. (Update: A document seen by gCaptain confirms that the icebreaker was given priority access).

The canal authority and the USCG media office did not respond to requests for comment if the icebreaker paid a fee to transit or received free passage. Transits can cost up to $500,000 for the largest vessels, with most large ships paying between $60,000 and $150,000 in fees.

Storis is set to arrive in San Diego on July 2, 2025 with the expectation that it’ll depart for the Arctic shortly thereafter. According to the U.S. Coast Guard the vessel’s official commissioning ceremony will take place in August at Storis’ future home port in Juneau, Alaska.

The new icebreaker is the initial vessel in a push to significantly expand the U.S. fleet. A key step toward producing numerous ice-class vessels for the Coast Guard came earlier this week with Canadian shipbuilder Davie announcing plans to acquire assets in Galveston and Port Arthur, Texas. These developments could place the state at the heart of U.S. efforts.

“We share a vision with Gulf Copper to make Texas a world-class hub for American icebreaker and complex ship production,” said James Davies, President and CEO of Davie. “Texas is ready to lead a new Golden Age of American shipbuilding—backed by our commitment to delivering ships on time, on budget, and in service of national security priorities.”

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