A bit of a long read but if you find the Coast Guard, the “Arctic” issue, the icebreaker shortage, you might find this interesting. I am posting this here with no opinion one way the other as to it’s facts or even if someone had an “agenda”. How a Troubled Icebreaker Became America’s Newest Military Vessel — ProPublica
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Excellent read. Many on this forum are familiar with the Aviq’s problems in Alaska. They have been discussed a LOT and a search will reveal that. The ProPublica article didn’t mention the poor design and the incompetent operation of the Aviq when it had its Alaska troubles but that is not relevant to the two main points of the article really. Political pressure to buy the Aviq is obvious and everyone knows how that works. Rich people buy politicians and have them do what they want done. For Chouest it’s a good deal. Shell paid Chouest $150 million in 2012 to build the Aviq. Chouest sold it to the USCG for $125 million 12 years later and it is being modified in a Chouest owned shipyard for USCG use. The Chouest family from Louisiana for years were the largest political contributors to politicians in Alaska and they continue to be major political contributors in many states as well as nationally so influence/bribery pays.
Dr Lawson Brigham who knows a few things about ice breakers and the USCG states he doesn’t know what the hell they’ll use it for.
But at least for now the USCG can claim they have another ‘ice breaker’ while they get their shit together and figure out how to build one similar to what other countries have successfully built for many years.
Just read where Trump said the US was going to build 40 more ice breakers. That’s interesting
It’s official. Directly from this White House Press release issued January 24, 2025:
Sounds like a clear and concise statement. Has to be believed when it comes from the President of the United States of America, right?.
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I like negotiations, it means things are getting done. If anyone has paid any attention to that narcissist Trump during the last 40 years then they know Trump likes negotiating too. Biden was near as bad as Reagan concerning informing the public about ongoing negotiations & Reagan announced an Alzheimers diagnosis shortly after leaving office. Link provided below. So now Trump said we will order 40 icebreakers which is near impossible for me to believe? He said we would get a new icebreaker during his last term too & that never materialized. But he did say we would get new training ships for our Maritime Academies & that actually happened. So who knows? But here’s the thing, at least he’s freaking talking about it on Day 3, acknowledging it as a problem. The last potus was like moss growing on a rock on every issue & had Karine Jean-Pierre making excuses every single day instead of engaging with the public. I’m so happy Trump is even talking about our icebreaker/Artic failures. If the left leaning media tears him up over it then great, at least it’s in the public eye. If Trump can just do 1/40th of what he says concerning icebreakers he’ll have done more than any potus in 40 years. Nice topic for him to discuss publicly imo.
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