The governments of the United States, Canada, and Finland intend to leverage shipyards in the United States, Canada, and Finland to build polar icebreakers for their own use, as well as to work closely with like minded allies and partners to build and export polar icebreakers for their needs at speed and affordable cost,” the announcement reads.
Hopefully this agreement eases some problems with the U.S. ice breaker building program.
Sounds like @Tupsis may get some new work. I do believe they are the resident icebreaker expert if memory serves correctly.
Isn’t everyone on this forum an expert on everything?
From the article: “…as well as to work closely with like minded allies and partners to build and export polar icebreakers for their needs at speed and affordable cost…”
I swear, if they finally manage to build an icebreaker just to give it to Ukraine or NATO I’m going to become an off the grid hermit in Montana or join one of those Amish/Mennonite cults & try to get my tax dollars conscientious objected from that nonsense.
A more plausible explanation seems that, given the hapless state of various US design, build and procurement projects, they are in dire need to in-source foreign know-how and capacity, isn’t it?
You are VERY unlikely to have to move, or change you cult allegiance anytime soon.
NOBODY in their right mind would build an icebreaker at an US shipyard, unless they are forced to by law.
BTW; many NATO countries are able to design and build icebreakers (as is Ukraine once Russia stop the attack)
FYI: Finland is now a NATO member.
So Finland will supply the expertise and design, Canada the building experience, US the shipyard space, steel and labour.
Machinery and main equipment will be sourced from wherever the best quality, price and terms can be found.
PS> I’ll bet on Wartsila as a major supplier of machinery and propulsion system etc.
That comes from Finland as well. Canada has not built icebreakers since the 1980s.
A White House announcement on Monday says the shipbuilder is in talks to partner with an existing American shipyard.
The news follows a pact announced earlier this month under which Canada, the U.S. and Finland will collaborate to build polar icebreakers.
The company also recently purchased Finland’s Helsinki shipyard, which has built half the world’s icebreaker fleet.
The Quebec government contributed $110 million to that acquisition, on top of a $520-million injection to help Davie modernize its shipyard in Lévis, Qu
The MoU has been signed:
What is the problem with the US icebreaker program?
Are they attempting to build an icebreaker or a multi-modal flexible mission platform for future operations in both hostile and friendly theaters, as well as the occasional cold weather ops ?
The PSC is indeed a bit more than “just an icebreaker”. However, the USCG does not need the kind of icebreakers that e.g. Russia operates as their mission profile is quite different.
However, the key problem is that the contract was awarded to an inexperienced shipyard using a design that just wasn’t that good.
That explains why ST Engineering sold the yard cheaply shortly after this contract was awarded to VT Halter Marine:
Maybe not so much because of “losses in the past” as seeing major problems in the future?
Prehaps Bollinger/Halter will try to poach or outsource north European talent to help make up for the lack of experience? I figured that was the purpose of the multinational partnership. Concerning the very limited US icebreaker building experience. Everyone who made the old USCG Polars & Healy are surely dead by now. ECO did make the Aiviq & they bought Bollinger, which bought VT Halter. So maybe some of the folks who built the used icebreaker that the USCG bought will work on building the new icebreakers the USCG will buy? Seems the US icebreaker sector is a tiny web all woven together?
“Races” may be a truth with modifications:
I was a Glacier guy- the polar class had issues when they were delivered- on DF 80 the polar sea was breaking out the main channel to McMurdo- and making short work of it- but broke down- don’t remember why- but with tongue in cheek we asked them to get a good position so could use them as light ship while they were waiting on repairs
There is an historic picture from DF 80 with Polar Sea, Glacier and the west wind all side by side in the ice
I was just reading about how the US almost ordered an icebreaker from Finland in the late 1970s, but the shipyard had to withdraw its bid due to cost calculation error — they had priced a civilian-spec icebreaker while the USCG wanted a milspec one.
