Russia operates more than 40 icebreakers, compared to a handful of aging US ships

The U.S. Coast Guard is turning to Finland to bolster the U.S. icebreaker fleet — a move driven by growing concern that the United States is lagging behind its global rivals in the race for influence and security in the Arctic.

For years, military and intelligence officials have warned that the United States has only a handful of aging icebreakers, compared to Russia’s fleet of more than 40, including nuclear-powered models. As melting sea ice opens new shipping lanes and access to critical minerals, the Pentagon and Coast Guard say a stronger presence in the Arctic is no longer an option.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump and Finnish President Alexander Stubb signed a $6.1 billion deal for Finland to sell up to four new icebreakers to the United States.

Defense officials say the Arctic now serves as the nation’s first line of defense — where U.S. early warning systems, missile detection networks and undersea cables intersect with growing military activity from Russia and China.

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Trump and Stubb at the White House signed an icebreaker agreement. (Nathan Howard/Reuters)

“We really need these ships because we have a lot of territory, more than anyone. And so, I’m very honored to have this deal. And thank you very much. It’s going to be great,” Trump said at the White House.

The purchase from Finnish shipbuilders, world leaders in polar ship designs, is part of a broader plan to address the “icebreaker deficit” that has left the United States dependent on obsolete ships for Arctic patrols and Antarctic resupply. New NATO member Finland has joined the United States and Canada in the ICE Pact – an agreement aimed at speeding up the construction of icebreakers, sharing technology and strengthening allied operations in polar waters.

“With a robust icebreaker fleet, the Coast Guard will protect America’s sovereignty and interests against global threats in the Arctic for decades to come,” Adm. Kevin Mondayy, acting Coast Guard commander, told Fox News Digital in a statement.

A drone photo taken on November 29, 2024 shows China’s research icebreakers Xuelong and Xuelong 2, or Snow Dragon and Snow Dragon 2, breaking ice near Zhongshan Station, a Chinese research base in Antarctica. The ships are part of China’s 41st Antarctic Expedition and will begin unloading operations after reaching their designated anchorage position. (Chen Dongbin/Xinhua via Getty Images)

The Coast Guard’s newest polar icebreaker, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Storis, returned to Port Seattle earlier this week after 112 days at sea, where it monitored the Chinese-flagged research vessels Jidi and Xue Long 2.

Russia and China have held joint naval exercises in the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska in recent months.

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The Storis was the first polar icebreaker the Coast Guard had acquired in 25 years when it was purchased in 2024. The service currently has only two others in service: the 48-year-old heavy icebreaker Polar Star and the medium icebreaker Healy. Coast Guard officials insist they need at least eight polar icebreakers to meet operational needs.

The Coast Guard also has 21 domestic icebreakers, designed to clear channels for commercial shipping in waterways like the Great Lakes, and 16 icebreaker buoys, capable of breaking up thin layers of ice.

A woman looks at a ship’s propeller during a steel cutting ceremony for the start of construction of the icebreaker Polar Max at the shipyard in Helsinki, Finland, August 20, 2025. (Reuters)

One of Russia’s main objectives in the Arctic is to consolidate control of the Northern Sea Route, the “ice highway” that runs along its northern flank and connects Europe to Asia via Arctic waters.

Russia has actively militarized its Arctic, redeploying its air, naval, missile, radar and anti-submarine assets to forward bases. Because Russia’s naval nuclear deterrent (particularly ballistic missile submarines) relies on Arctic sea lanes for stealth deployment, Moscow views Western surveillance or military presence in the region as a direct threat.

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The Arctic is also rich in hydrocarbons, minerals and rare elements – materials over which the United States and all its close competitors are trying to secure dominance. China currently controls most of the world’s supply of rare earth elements and minerals.

Although China is not an Arctic state, it considers itself a “near-Arctic” power and is working to become a recognized stakeholder in Arctic affairs. China has integrated the Arctic into its Belt and Road vision via the “Polar Silk Road” – a conceptual maritime route across the Arctic connecting China and Europe.