Canada confirms U.S. selection of its icebreaker for Arctic Security Cutter Program.

The U.S. Coast Guard Arctic Security Cutter fleet will be based on Seaspan’s Multi-Purpose Icebreaker design, allowing up to six medium polar icebreakers to be built through a trilateral industrial arrangement involving Canada, Finland, and the United States.

On January 7, 2026, the Canadian shipbuilder Seaspan confirmed that the U.S. Coast Guard Arctic Security Cutter fleet will be based on its Multi-Purpose Icebreaker (MPI) design, allowing up to six medium polar icebreakers to be built through a trilateral industrial arrangement involving Canada, Finland, and the United States. The structure supports accelerated construction timelines by combining an existing Polar Class 4 design with established supply chains and phased production across experienced shipyards.
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Seaspan's Multi-Purpose Icebreaker (MPI) can perform sustained Arctic operations with an endurance exceeding 60 days, a range of about 12,000 nautical miles, and an icebreaking capability through roughly 1.22 meters (4 feet) of ice. (Picture source: Seaspan)

Under this framework, Seaspan Shipyards will provide the complete Multi-Purpose Icebreaker (MPI) design baseline and associated supply chain packages to support immediate construction activity, while production is divided between Finnish and U.S. shipyards. The approach reflects a focus on speed of delivery, reduced technical risk, and rapid restoration of U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Arctic operating capacity, while embedding the Arctic Security Cutter (ASC) program within a broader trilateral industrial cooperation linking the United States, Canada, and Finland.

The construction plan foresees up to two Arctic Security Cutters being built in Finland by Rauma Marine Constructions, with delivery expected in 2028, while Bollinger Shipyards will construct up to four additional vessels in the United States, with the first U.S.-built cutter expected in 2029. This sequencing allows early hulls to be produced by a shipyard with long-standing icebreaker experience, while U.S. facilities prepare for sustained domestic construction. The agreements include not only the transfer of design data but also established supplier networks, allowing long-lead systems and equipment to be ordered without delay. The result is a program structured to move directly from contract award into physical construction rather than extended redesign phases.

The Arctic Security Cutter (ASC) is derived from Seaspan’s Multi-Purpose Icebreaker (MPI), a Polar Class 4 design originally developed for the Canadian Coast Guard under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy in cooperation with Aker Arctic Technology. Design and engineering work were completed almost entirely in Canada, and many of the major system and equipment suppliers were selected during that process. The platform was conceived to replace multiple legacy ship classes with a single hull capable of icebreaking, patrol, cargo support, and emergency response. Hull performance was validated through ice model testing, and the design incorporates an ice load monitoring system to support operations in demanding Arctic conditions.

The ASC will be positioned as a medium polar icebreaker designed to break approximately four feet of ice, or about 1.22 meters, and to operate independently for more than 60 days. They are expected to have a range of around 12,000 nautical miles, equivalent to roughly 22,200 kilometers, supporting sustained Arctic deployments without frequent resupply. With a length of about 328 feet, close to 100 meters, a moulded breadth of roughly 67 feet or 20.4 meters, and a draft of around 21 feet or 6.4 meters, the cutters displace approximately 9,000 tonnes and use a diesel-electric propulsion system with variable-speed DC-bus architecture and azimuthing propulsion units.

Within the broader U.S. polar fleet structure, the Arctic Security Cutters are intended to complement the larger Polar Security Cutters, which are designed for heavier ice conditions and Antarctic operations. The medium Arctic Security Cutters focus on Arctic sovereignty patrols, maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, scientific support, and protection of shipping lanes, energy infrastructure, and mineral resources. Together, the two classes are intended to form a layered icebreaking fleet addressing longstanding capability gaps. The program is also linked to U.S. policy decisions, allowing a limited number of vessels to be built abroad as a time-limited measure, paired with requirements to transition expertise and production capacity back to U.S. shipyards over time.

The Arctic Security Cutter program is embedded in a wider industrial and strategic context shaped by the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort, often referred to as the ICE Pact, which seeks closer cooperation among the United States, Canada, and Finland in Arctic shipbuilding. By adopting a common design and overlapping supply chains, the participating countries aim to improve interoperability, simplify maintenance, and reduce lifecycle costs across their respective fleets. For the U.S. Coast Guard, alignment with the Canadian Coast Guard’s Multi-Purpose Icebreaker fleet offers opportunities for shared training, logistics coordination, and joint operations in polar waters, while supporting allied presence in an increasingly competitive Arctic environment.

On the Canadian side, the Multi-Purpose Icebreaker program involves up to 16 vessels to be built by Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards as part of the Canadian Coast Guard’s fleet renewal, with an estimated budget of $14.2 billion excluding taxes and a first delivery target of 2030. The ships are intended to operate year-round across Canada’s east and west coasts, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the St. Lawrence River, the Great Lakes, and seasonally in the Arctic, performing icebreaking, search and rescue, scientific research, environmental response, emergency towing, and fisheries patrol support. This Canadian mission set forms the baseline from which the U.S. Arctic Security Cutter variant is derived, underscoring that the U.S. program is built on an already defined and operationally broad platform rather than a bespoke design developed from scratch.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.