I favor a nuclear icebreaker with a standard proven submarine reactor package.
I fear that a diesel electric icebreaker would run out of clean fuel and need to be rescued by the Russians, or worse, the Chinese. Given our slow progress on building an icebreaker, India, Iran, and North Korea may have icebreakers before we do.
Donât bet on it:
VARD is read to build one with the same basic hull and machinery, but modified to meet USCG requirements any time.
Agreed price and delivery time guaranteed, just done change your mind after contract is signed.
(Change order is expensive and time consuming)
When you only have a low number of breakers, the ship has to be able to do a little bit of everything. Also, McMurdo is the BIG task in Antarctica, Palmer was a piece of cake compared to McMurdo. We had scientists, whale researchers, did SAR in Alaska, towing in the Arctic Ocean, rescuing a fleet of oil company tugs trapped in ice trying to get to Prudhoe Bay. The Coast Guard, always doing âeverythingâ with a âlittleâ.
You stated "âtugsailor, post:37, topic:69370â âThe USCG does not need super expensive new icebreakers that can do every imaginable mission. They need to be practical and grateful for what US Taxpayers are willing to buy. Or there will be no new icebreakers anytime soon.â
Then you state âI favor a nuclear icebreaker with a standard proven submarine reactor package.â
Do you know the cost, the maintenance cost, required infrastructure, and manning for nuclear power? You think the CG and DHS will get that type of Taxpayer funding?
Make up your mind, super expensive new nuclear icebreakers, or what US Taxpayers are willing to buy. Remember the Coast Guard budget goes through Department of Homeland Security not the Department of Defense.
And the CG has Icebreakers, just not enough for the requirements placed on it by Congress, DoD, Navy, NSF, DoT, and Commerce. They place the requirement but not the funding, infrastructure, or manning. No wonder the CG is hurting!
So âIndia, Iran, and North Korea may have icebreakers before we do.â they canât! The Revenue Cutter Service (Part of the CG predecessors) Cutter Bear in 1885 started icebreaking duties in the new territory of Alaska. India, Iran, and North Korea cannot get in front of that!!!
Does the USCG even have the kind of icebreaking missions that would require the theoretically unlimited operating range of a nuclear-powered icebreaker?
In any case, the USCG has stated that they looked into the nuclear option and decided against it.
Arctic and Antarctic icebreaking with nuclear powered icebreakers should be done by the US Navy (not the USCG). Building and operating a nuclear powered ship is beyond the current capability of the USCG and they know that.
The Navy has the nuclear expertise with both submarines and surface ships, and a good safety record. The Navy and its contractors also know how to build nuclear powered ships with high strength steel.
I suppose the mission is to project sovereignty over the mineral rich Alaskan continental shelf and to be able to conduct research and freedom of navigation missions anywhere in the Arctic at any time of year.
As shipping increases in the Northwest Passage there may be more ice breaking assistance to shipping, SAR, and environmental protection missions.
Alaska doesnât have many icebreaking requirements. Valdez is a virtually ice free port. The big tides break the ice in Cook Inlet. Western Alaska and the North Slope only have shipping during the increasingly long ice free, or nearly so, season. The USCG does not do ice breaking to support commercial shipping in Alaska.
The Great Lakes, Mississippi River system, and the Northeast are the USCGâs primary ice breaking missions in support of commercial shipping.
When was the last time USCGâs seagoing icebreakers provided assistance to commercial shipping if we exclude escorting the Russian tanker Renda to Nome in late 2012?
its always the same players VT Halter and Bollinger
General dynamics doesnât seem to have these problem nor does Bath Iron works
The USCG routinely provides icebreaking assistance to commercial shipping on the Great Lakes, Inland Rivers, and certain bays, harbors and rivers in the Northeast.
50 years ago commercial shipping and ferries in the Northeast were dependent upon a lot of USCG ice breaking every winter. There is much less need for ice breaking in the northeast now, but still some.
I knew of the Great Lakes, but not so much of the rest. Thank you.
Many people tend to think the USCG escorts ships in the Arctic in the same way Russians do.
The Great Lakes are warming at an unprecedent rate. This year, the St. Lawrence River section closed on January 5, the latest scheduled closing since the Seaway opened in 1959.
If the icebreaker acquisition delays continue for much longer, they may no longer be needed.
As far as I can tell, all the USCG does in the Arctic is research, assert sovereignty and freedom of navigation. There is no routine USCG icebreaker assistance to shipping or SAR in Alaska.
Storyful
February 8, 2024
US Coast Guard (USCG) cutters broke up ice in tandem along Maineâs Penobscot River on Tuesday, February 6, in an effort to prevent ice jams and potential flooding.
Video shows USCG cutters Bridle and Tackle conducting âsynchronized ice-breaking operationsâ on Tuesday, a âcritical missionâ which âhighlights the Coast Guardâs essential role in maintaining waterways during winter,â the Coast Guard said.
These efforts help prevent potential flooding related to ice jams, and keep waterways open for commercial vessel movement, according to the USCG. Credit: US Coast Guard Southwest Harbor via Storyful
ALL BOROUGHS MAY 13, 2024
The Sturgeon Bay on the Hudson River. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)
WEATHER
BY METEOROLOGIST JOHN DAVITT NEW YORK STATE
PUBLISHED 1:00 PM ET FEB. 05, 2024
Each winter, snow plows keep our highways clear, while in the Hudson River, Coast Guard icebreakers keep the river safe for commercial shipping. Hereâs their story.
Ships deliver 90% of the home heating oil in the Northeast
Special âice buoysâ are used each winter
The icebreaker ships can plow through ice up to 30 inches thick
It seems like something that would happen at the North Pole, but each winter on the Hudson River, the Coast Guard deploys ice-breaking vessels. Without them, millions might not have heat for the winter.
The Coast Guard has a very important mission each winter.
From December through March, they conduct ice-breaking operations on the Hudson River and other waterways in the Northeast. They ram through ice up to 30 inches thick.
By making multiple passes through the ice fields, they break the frozen river into small chunks. This allows barges to navigate the frigid river and deliver vital supplies of home heating oil.
The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Sturgeon Bay leaves Hudson, N.Y. to break the ice in the shipping channel on the Hudson River in Feb. 2015. (AP/Mike Groll)
The fleet of ships operates from the New York Harbor and north to Albany, N.Y.
85% of home heating oil used in the United States happens in the Northeast, and the U.S. Coast Guard transports 90% of that on a river.
The mission each winter is called Operation Reliable Energy for Northeast Winters.
The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Sturgeon Bay breaks ice in the shipping channel on the Hudson River near the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge in Feb. 2015. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)
Other dry goods, like rock salt and cement, are also often transported by barge.
The ice is typically the worst where the river is narrow.
The West Point area is well known as one of these checkpoints, and it sees frequent visits from the icebreakersâ crews.
The Coast Guard has three 65-foot tugs and three 140-foot icebreakers in its fleet.
The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Sturgeon Bay breaks ice in the shipping channel on the Hudson River in Feb. 2015, near Germantown, N.Y. (AP/Ted Shaffrey)
The job is tough. Itâs noisy and conducted during the harshest winter weather. Temperatures can drop to the single digits, and the ice can refreeze in just hours.
In addition to the daily ice clearing assignments, the Coast Guard must also replace all the traditional navigational buoys each winter with special ice buoys. They can withstand the incredible pressure that the ice can produce.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
The icy weather doesnât just cause trouble for the roads but for the waterways as well.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) â The icy weather doesnât just cause trouble for the roads but for the waterways as well.
Every day when ice starts forming, the crew of the Coast Guard icebreaker CAPSTAN casts off the lines and head out into the Delaware River - never knowing what theyâll find out there.
âWe look forward to the winter every year. This is what the boat is built for, this is what we are out here to do,â said US Coast Guard BM1 Matt Bailey.
The CAPSTAN is one of two ice breakers working 140 miles of the Delaware River.
The ice breaker was built in 1961 and can still handle ice up to 18 inches thick.
âUsually once it gets above two feet we usually call in a bigger boat, such as a 175 footer, but we can handle everything up to about two feet,â said SCBM Christopher Stover, US Coast Guard.
On Wednesday, the ice ranged from paper thin to eight inches thick.
If the river freezes over, it can bring shipping commerce to a standstill.
The big tankers and freighters can handle the ice but smaller vessels like flat fronted barges can easily get stuck.
However more important than commerce is safety.
"What we focus on, first and foremost, is search and rescue and coastal security of all the vessels out on the water, then we look into vessels that are in urgent situations that may need our assistance breaking out of the ice,: said SCBM Stover.
A buoy, discovered 165 yards out of position, is an example of a safety issue.
Thatâs because the ice grabbed ahold of it and dragged it with the tide.
A large ship could have gone aground if CAPSTAN hadnât sent out notice of the wayward buoy.
On Wednesday, the CAPSTAN cleared the shipping channel from Philadelphia to Trenton and theyâll do it all again on Thursday.
Two ice-breaking tug boats are hard at work on the Delaware River these days.
WPVI
Thatâs my understanding as well.
Depending how the (mainly Russian) Arctic shipping develops, SAR and other emergency response readiness off Alaska may become important in the future.
The model of this big new 120 MW nuclear Russian icebreaker is a good looking ship.
The US should be build something similar.
Russia is pushing back the commissioning of its planned 120 megawatt (MW) icebreakers, according to media reports.
First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov said the lead nuclear-powered icebreaker of Project 10510 Leader series, Rossiya, is scheduled to be comissioned in 2030, three years later than originally planned, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported.
Model of the Leader series icebreaker (Image: Rosatom / CC BY-SA 4.0)
Construction has been underway at the Zvezda shipbuilding complex in the Russian Far East since 2020, but the project has fallen behind schedule, in part, due increased production time for components of the icebreakerâs nuclear power plant and the cost of construction, according to the Kommersant report*.*
The Project 10510 Leader class icebreakers would supersede Project 22220 icebreakers as the worldâs largest and most powerful icebreakers ever built.
The 209-meter-long vessels are to be powered by two RITM-400 nuclear reactors with a thermal output of 315MW each. Four electrically driven shafts with a combined capacity of 120MW will allow each vessel to reach speeds of 22 knots and break ice up to 4 meters thick, helping to enable regular year-round navigation on the Northern Sea Route.
Initial plans called for two additional sister ships to be built by 2033, but early last year it was reported that only one Project 10510 vessel would be constructed before 2035 as result of an update to Russiaâs arctic strategy.
Meanwhile, Russia continues to build a series of 60MW nuclear icebreakers at the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg, with the next vessel, Yakutia, slated for delivery at the end of this year, and three more to join the fleet between 2026 and 2030.
By SUNAO GUSHIKEN/ Staff Writer
May 20, 2024 at 08:00 JST
An artistâs concept of the Arctic research vessel Mirai II, which will have ice-breaking capability (Provided by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology)
YOKOHAMAâJapanâs first Arctic research vessel now under construction here will be capable of smashing through sea ice up to 1.2 meters thick to reach the northern polar region to study sea creatures and environmental conditions there.
It will also serve as the mother ship for a submersible and have airborne drone capability.
The icebreaker will take over survey and observation functions from the current oceanographic research vessel, Mirai, which was limited to operating in ice-free areas.
At 128 meters from bow to stern, Mirai II will be able to accommodate up to 97 crew members.
The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) said Mirai II will be tasked with measuring the thickness and shape of the sea ice it cuts through as well as studying environmental conditions and living creatures in the north polar region.
âWe will be looking to cross from the Pacific side to the Atlantic side to measure sea water temperatures and other data at some point,â said a representative of JAMSTEC, which is based in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture.
The total cost of construction is estimated at 33.9 billion yen ($219.5 million). The vessel is being built in Yokohamaâs Isogo Ward with completion set for November 2026.
The Antarctic icebreaker Shirase operated by the Maritime Self-Defense Force served as a role model in the construction of Mirai II to give it the ability to venture into areas covered by sea ice throughout the year.
On April 19, reporters were allowed into the Isogo Works of leading shipbuilder Japan Marine United Corp. (JMU)âs Yokohama Shipyard to see what work has been done to date.
The construction work featured an iron plate with 2 millimeters of stainless steel applied to its surface to help the vessel negotiate icy waters.
âFriction with ice can be lessened, making the body resistant to rust even when its paint peels off,â said a JMU representative.
Boasting the latest in icebreaker technology, Mirai II will operate in a far wider area than its predecessor, even at the North Pole itself.
âWe are determined to do what it takes to get the work done,â said JMU President Nobuyuki Nada. âWe are incorporating everything we know about engineering techniques to build this vessel.â
Global warming is already having a noticeable impact on the Arctic region, according to JAMSTEC, citing a reduced volume of sea ice and other environmental changes that have become the trigger for more aggressive economic activity.
Mirai II will also monitor changes in Earthâs climate and weather as well as assess challenges in the north polar region from a âglobal perspective.â
A launch ceremony is planned in March 2025 ahead of completion in November of the following year.
âLooks first, functionality secondâ 
I have long since labeled the Russian 120-megawatt âsuper-icebreakerâ as a white elephant: itâs a resource sink without being that useful in the real world. They should have focused on the smaller 60-megawatt icebreakers and, in the unlikely event of anyone needing a wide channel in heavy ice conditions, deploy two of them in tandem.
Mirai II will be the tenth icebreaker with stainless steel ice belt. Itâs a pretty if not somewhat expensive feature. The Japanese used it in their previous ship, Shirase, as well.
I remember having to rescue an entire fleet of tugs, barges, and ships that go trapped in the ice NORTH of Alaska. Due to the âuncertaintyâ of the Arctic weather, you may be ice-free one day, but a shift in wind direction, can trap you for days.
1.2 meters? Good luck with those pressure ridges that are way thicker. 
