U.S. Coast Guard’s Newest Icebreaker ‘Storis’ Arrives in Seattle, Prepares for First Arctic Patrol

The U.S.’ newly acquired icebreaker Storis (formerly Aiviq) arrived in Seattle following a six-week voyage from Bollinger Shipyards in Mississippi. 

“In a historic journey that marked the start of her legendary service as a Coast Guard icebreaker, the Coast Guard Cutter Storis sailed from Mississippi, transited the Panama Canal, and made her way to Seattle for the first time,” said Capt. Corey Kerns commanding officer of Storis. 

The Coast Guard acquired the anchor handling icebreaking vessel from Edison Chouest Offshore’s subsidiary, Offshore Service Vessels LLC, in late 2024 for $125 million. The thirteen-year old vessel underwent initial conversion work at Tampa Ship LLC in Tampa, Florida this past winter.

The vessel will supplement the existing aging polar icebreaker fleet consisting of 50-year old Polar Star and 25-year old Healy. 

In the medium-term the Coast Guard aims to add at least a half-dozen newly constructed heavy and medium icebreakers following appropriation of nearly $9 billion in President Trump’s recent spending bill.

The first Arctic Security Cutters could enter into service as early as 2028 based on ongoing negotiations with Finnish shipyards. Domestic construction of the initial larger Polar Security Cutter has been under way since earlier this year with delivery not expected before 2030.

Storis will serve as a stop-gap measure bolstering the Coast Guard’s presence and capabilities in the region in the short-term. It will also function as a valuable tool to train additional crews and personnel for service in the Arctic and continue the Coast Guard’s long history operating in the region, a point highlighted by Captain Kerns. 

“This milestone voyage was made possible by the dedication and skill of the crew — a remarkable team whose professionalism will continue the legacy of the Coast Guard’s service in the polar regions.”

Next will be Storis’ official commissioning before the vessel departs on its first Arctic patrol.

“Storis will hold a commissioning ceremony in Juneau, AK in August, where it will transition to in-commission, active status before conducting an Arctic District presence patrol,” a Coast Guard spokesperson told gCaptain. It will be several years before the vessel will be homeported in Juneau awaiting construction of shore infrastructure and crew housing.

Once commissioned later this summer Storis will likely be joining CGC Healy in the Arctic District marking the first time in at least two decades that the U.S. Coast Guard dispatched two icebreakers to the Polar region simultaneously. 

While the Coast Guard has in the past operated two icebreakers at the same time in Antarctica, most recently Polar Sea and Polar Star, its Arctic presence has been more limited. Healy is currently operating in the Bering Strait as part of its annual Arctic science mission.

Storis will undergo additional modifications and refurbishments following its initial Arctic deployment the Coast Guard confirmed.

“Following that patrol, the Coast Guard will conduct further assessments of the ship to define its capability, develop operational requirements, develop program management planning (including cost, schedule, performance), and look to modify the ship to bolster the US Coast Guard’s capability in the Arctic as required,” the Coast Guard spokesperson concluded.

Subscribe for Daily Maritime Insights

Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update

— trusted by our 108,996 members