U.S. Coast Guard unveils new Arctic strategic plan

By Maritime Magazine
2023-11-01

The U.S. Coast Guard has unveiled what is called an Arctic Strategic Outlook Implementation Plan that opens the door to acquiring commercially-available icebreakers to address short-term capacity gaps.

The plan comprises 14 initiatives ranging from enhancing Arctic operations and exercises to expanding surface capabilities and associated support infrastructure with a view to promoting safety, security and stewardship in the region.

One noteworthy initiative would be to complement the existing polar icebreaking fleet by purchasing a secondhand vessel – in effect emulating the Canadian Coast Guard which recently dedicated the CCGS Vincent Massey, the third of three medium icebreakers bought from the commercial market in 2018.

Presently, the Polar Star (heavy) and the Healey (medium) are the sole polar icebreakers operated by the U.S. Coast Guard. Construction of the USCG’s first Polar Security Cutter prototype began last August at Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding – but delivery of the first of eight planned units is not anticipated until 2027.

“While the U.S. Coast Guard’s mission in the Arctic has endured for more than 150 years, the strategic landscape has changed,” the USCG said. “Global geopolitical trends combined with dramatic effects of climate change to the Arctic’s physical environment are increasing the region’s economic opportunities and strategic importance while hastening the impacts and risks to U.S. Arctic residents, commercial activity, and U.S. national security.”

“As the region continues to become more accessible and consequential, the demand for U.S. Coast Guard leadership and presence will continue to grow.

“The release of the 2022 National Strategy for the Arctic Region (NSAR) further exemplifies the importance of the region. The NSAR articulates the U.S. vision of the Arctic as a region that is “peaceful, stable, prosperous, and cooperative. This implementation plan, the first for the 2019 U.S. Coast Guard Arctic Strategic Outlook, is intended to advance that vision.”

(U.S. Coast Guard photo of Polar Star)