United States, Canada and Finland team up on icebreakers to strengthen Arctic defense

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday announced a strategic partnership with Canada and Finland to build nearly a dozen advanced icebreakers to help defend the Arctic against rival powers such as China.

Noem signed a letter of intent on what has been dubbed the Icebreaker Collaborative Effort (ICE Pact) alongside Canadian Ambassador to the United States Kirsten Hillman and Finnish Minister of Economic Affairs Sakari Puisto at DHS headquarters in Washington, DC.

“To thrive in the Arctic, we need icebreakers,” Noem said, adding that the ICE Pact will help fuel the economies of all three countries and strengthen the collective defense of the Arctic.

Noem called the Arctic “the world’s last, wildest frontier,” where the United States and its allies, as well as its adversaries, compete for strategic positions and the region’s rich natural resources.

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Secretary Kristi Noem met with Canadian Ambassador Kirsten Hillman and Finnish Minister of Economic Affairs Sakari Puisto on the Icebreaker collaborative effort at DHS Headquarters in Washington, DC, Tuesday, November 18, 2025. (Pool)

Noem said that shortly after the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Storis, a polar icebreaker, was commissioned earlier this year, Chinese ships began operating openly in and near U.S. Arctic waters.

“Their goal was clear. They wanted to test America’s resolve,” Noem said of China. “The Coast Guard responded immediately. In fact, we deployed the Cutter Healy and a fleet of air assets to the scene, and we escorted these intruders from our waters. Our rapid response sent a clear message: under the leadership of President Trump, we will defend our sovereignty.”

Noem, Hillman and Puisto each signed a letter of intent to join forces on the Icebreaker collaborative effort. (Pool)

Noem said the U.S. currently has 11 cutters under contract that will be built over the next few years. The first four will be built through partnerships from Canada and Finland, while Noem said the rest will be built in the United States after its shipyards are rebuilt.

Noem said the United States currently has 11 icebreakers under contract that will be built over the next few years. (Pool)

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The initiative will also help train an American workforce in the specialized shipbuilding skills needed to produce cutting-edge ships more quickly and efficiently.

Secretary Kristi Noem listens as President Donald Trump answers questions from reporters during a meeting at the White House, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

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“Finland and Canada are critical to the success of this mission, and U.S. shipbuilders are among the most innovative, dedicated and hard-working individuals in the world,” Noem said.