December 2025 United States Icebreaking News Roundup
A look back at the relevant news and events from the previous quarter.
Welcome to the latest round-up of U.S. news related to icebreakers. Today, we will cover events since September 29th:
In these periodic posts, I write about news and other information that I have not covered in another article.
October 3: Storis completes first patrol
According to a U.S. Coast Guard press release:
SEATTLE — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Storis (WAGB 21), the service’s newest commissioned icebreaker, arrived in Seattle Friday after completing its 112-day inaugural patrol.
Storis departed Pascagoula, Mississippi, June 1, transited the Panama Canal and the Pacific Ocean enroute to conduct its first Arctic patrol operating north of the Bering Strait to control, secure, and defend the northern U.S. border and maritime approaches.
Storis operated under the Coast Guard Arctic District, supporting Operation Frontier Sentinel to counter foreign malign influences in or near Alaskan and U.S. Arctic waters.
In early September, Storis entered the ice for the first time as a Coast Guard cutter to relieve Coast Guard Cutter Healy (WAGB 20) and monitor the Chinese-flagged research vessels Jidi and Xue Long 2.
Prior to its inaugural patrol, the Coast Guard commissioned Storis in Juneau, Alaska, Aug. 10, and the cutter is the Coast Guard’s first polar icebreaker acquired in over 25 years. Throughout the cutter’s inaugural deployment, the crew conducted helicopter operations, gunnery exercises, established numerous operational and administrative programs, and organized multiple community outreach events throughout six port calls, providing tours to over 1,500 people.
For more on the Storis, see here:
October 10: U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche returns to California following Arctic patrol
U.S. Coast Guard press release:
ALAMEDA, Calif. – The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche (WMSL 751) returned to its Base Alameda home port Oct. 10, concluding a 105-day Arctic deployment spanning over 21,000 nautical miles.
In August, Waesche’s crew responded to the People’s Republic of China Research Vessel Zhong Shan Da Xue Ji Di as it was transiting north in the Chukchi Sea above the Arctic Circle, after passing through the Bering Strait. Waesche and the Coast Guard Cutter Healy (WAGB 20) patrolled the Arctic Ocean in September supporting Operation Frontier Sentinel, an operation that responds to adversaries operating in and around Alaskan and U.S. Arctic waters, before responding to China’s research vessels in the region. The U.S. Coast Guard’s responses are intended to counter malign activities, defend sovereign interests, and promote maritime conduct consistent with international law and norms.
While deployed to the region, Waesche served as a Forward Afloat Staging Base during NORTHCOM’s Exercise Arctic Edge 2025, executing a complex, multi-agency assault of a mock target of interest. The operation showcased seamless integration between Waesche, Coast Guard Maritime Security Response Team West, U.S. Navy SEALs, and the Alaska Air National Guard to rapidly respond to domestic threats.
Waesche conducted joint operations with ALCOM and the Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Regina (FFH 334), demonstrating interagency coordination and a shared commitment to regional security during a joint patrol. The exercise included a passenger exchange, a mock boarding, cross-deck hoist operations with Regina’s CH-148 Cyclone helicopter, air support from a U.S. Coast Guard C-130J Hercules fixed wing aircraft from Air Station Kodiak and a Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 Aurora.
“This deployment was a resounding success, proving the concept of expeditionary logistics in the Northern Frontier and solidifying our partnerships with the Joint Force and key allies,” said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Tyson Scofield, commanding officer of Waesche. “The underway replenishment with Asterix and the successful barge fueling in Kotzebue represent a significant leap forward in our ability to sustain operations in the Arctic. Our integration with the Royal Canadian Navy, ALCOM, and NORTHCOM highlights the importance of peace through strength to maintain an Arctic free of adversarial coercion.”
Waesche successfully conducted the Coast Guard’s first-ever fueling at sea in the Alaskan theater with the Royal Canadian Navy replenishment oiler MV Asterix – accomplished in 6-8 foot seas with sustained 30-knot winds. Additionally, Waesche fueled north of the Arctic Circle, extending Coast Guard operations into the remote Arctic environment.
Commissioned in 2010, Waesche is one of four Legend-class national security cutters homeported in Alameda. National security cutters are 418-feet long, 54-feet wide, have a top speed of over 28 knots, a range of 12,000 nautical miles, endurance of up to 90 days, and can hold a crew of up to 170. The advanced technologies of the national security cutter class ships are designed to support the operations and missions throughout the Pacific.
The U.S. Coast Guard has been deploying National Security Cutters to Alaska (and into the Arctic) for quite some time, especially in the summer months. While not intended to patrol in ice, these vessels have on occasion had to operate in light ice conditions.
October 26: Healy returns to Seattle after 129-day Arctic Deployment
U.S. Coast Guard press release:
SEATTLE — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy (WAGB 20) returned to its Seattle home port Sunday, following a 129-day patrol that concluded its annual Arctic deployment.
Healy, one of three Coast Guard polar icebreakers, steamed over 20,000 miles this deployment, supporting Operation Arctic West Summer and Operation Frontier Sentinel, protecting U.S. sovereign rights and territory, and promoting national security in the Arctic.
As a part of Operation Frontier Sentinel, Healy queried and monitored three foreign research vessels operating in ice-covered waters over the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf and U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, protecting the territorial integrity of the United States’ northernmost border.
Five China-affiliated research vessels operated in the Arctic region over the summer, and Healy was one of several Coast Guard assets deployed to control, secure, and defend U.S. sovereign interests. The Coast Guard works in conjunction with U.S. Northern Command and Alaskan Command to constantly monitor foreign vessels operating in and near U.S. waters.
Healy’s crew also supported two missions involving the deployment and recovery of subsurface oceanographic equipment throughout the U.S. Arctic, East Siberian Sea, and Laptev Sea. This work was performed in conjunction with the Office of Naval Research, the National Science Foundation, and other partner agencies. The data collected will help build a more cohesive picture of the physical, biological, and chemical properties of the Arctic Ocean, improving maritime domain awareness north of the Arctic Circle.As part of the Arctic District’s multi-faceted response to a series of devastating storms that struck Western Alaska communities, Healy diverted to the affected region to respond to Search and Rescue and disaster relief needs.
Healy’s 2024 summer patrol was cut short by an electrical fire, resulting in Healy being unavailable to respond to China’s 2024 polar patrol. Following repairs, Healy did later complete a shorter autumn patrol.
October 27-28: New Requests for Information (RFIs) for Domestic Icebreakers
The U.S. Coast Guard released RFIs for Homeland Security Cutter- Light Icebreakers (HSC-L) and Homeland Security Cutter- Medium Icebreakers (HSC-M).
Homeland Security Cutter- Light Icebreakers
The HSC-L program is designed to replace the existing fleet of 65-foot light icebreaking tugs (WYTLs) which entered service between 1961-1967 and 49-foot buoy utility stern loading boats (BUSLs) with a single, dual-capability platform.
The U.S. Coast Guard plans to build seven HSC-Ls.
Homeland Security Cutter- Medium Icebreakers
The HSC-M program will replace the 140-foot Bay-class icebreaking tugs that entered service between 1978-1988. These vessels will be used on the Great Lakes and along the Atlantic Coast, performing icebreaking and other missions including search and rescue.
The Coast Guard is planning for a total of 11 homeland security cutter-medium icebreakers (HSC-M).
These RFIs basically update the Domestic Icebreaking (DOMICE) RFI that was issued in May.
Like the earlier DOMICE RFI, these RFIs look to allied nations for potential designs but only request information concerning ship production from within the U.S. maritime industrial base. (This differs from the Arctic Security Cutter RFI, which also solicited information from allied and partner shipbuilders).
Homeland Security Cutter- Heavy Icebreaker
Although there is as of yet no RFI, the U.S. Coast Guard’s updated Homeland Security Cutter-Icebreakers web page references another Great Lakes icebreaker:
To address the unique challenges of ice navigation on the Great Lakes, particularly in severe winters, the Coast Guard is also proposing the construction of one additional homeland security cutter-heavy icebreaker (HSC-H). This additional icebreaker will join the Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw, which provides heavy icebreaking capability in the Great Lakes.
November 16: Alaska-Based Research Vessel Sikuliaq Heads to Antarctic Waters
From Maritime Executive:
The U.S. research vessel Sikuliaq has begun a long voyage to the Antarctica[sic] achieving a new milestone in its decade-long polar expeditions. The Alaska-based vessel is owned by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and operated by the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
This is the first time for the vessel to undertake an Antarctic expedition, as it is largely used in waters around Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. Starting early next year, the 261-foot vessel will support three research projects in the Southern Ocean, which were previously scheduled for vessels whose contracts with NSF have ended. The charter for research vessel Laurence M. Gould expired in 2024. In July, NSF also made a decision to terminate the charter for the research icebreaker Nathaniel B. Palmer.
The vessel left Alaska’s Dutch Harbor on November 14 and is on a 10-day transit to Honolulu. From there, Sikuliaq will embark on a three-week NSF-funded research project in the South Pacific. The project will study influences on shifting levels of ocean heat near the equator.
After the project, the ship will then travel south to French Polynesia and later to Punta Arenas, Chile. Here, the vessel will prepare for a series of research projects that will last through March 2026. Some of the planned studies include a coring project on Antarctica’s Seymour Island, which will evaluate the effects of a mass extinction event during the Cretaceous period. Another study will evaluate the ecology of the ocean bottom off the West side of the Antarctic Peninsula by using divers to collect invertebrate samples.
As noted in the article, this is an interim solution to replace the Nathaniel B. Palmer, a polar research vessel that had been chartered for use by the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP). The NSF had hoped to build its own vessel, but rising cost and other problems have put that project on hold. (I wrote about the Antarctic Research Vessel project last year.) I’m currently working on an updated article about the future of Antarctic research, including the current risks to the mission as the U.S. Coast Guard waits for new icebreakers to be delivered.
One of those risks is that the U.S. Coast Guard’s only heavy icebreaker, the Polar Star, breaks down and is unable to support the resupply of the USAP’s Antarctic research stations. That annual mission, Operation Deep Freeze, has just begun:
November 20: Polar Star departs Seattle for Operation Deep Freeze
From a U.S. Coast Guard press release:
SEATTLE — The USCGC Polar Star (WAGB 10) departed Seattle on Thursday commencing its 29th deployment to Antarctica in support of Operation Deep Freeze.
Operation Deep Freeze is an annual joint military mission to resupply the United States Antarctic stations in support of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the lead agency for the United States Antarctic Program. Historic investment in the Big Beautiful Bill of nearly 25 billion, $9 billion of which is specifically for icebreakers and infrastructure in the high latitudes. This massive investment in icebreakers will secure U.S. access, security, and leadership in the polar regions.
As the U.S. Coast Guard prepares to revitalize its icebreaking fleet, the Polar Star remains the only U.S. vessel capable of breaking a navigable channel through the ice to reach McMurdo Station, the largest Antarctic station and the logistics hub of the U.S. Antarctic Program.
Each year, the cutter serves a vital role in ensuring surface access for fuel and supply ships through the Ross Sea to resupply the U.S. Antarctic bases. Polar Star’s mission directly protects the security, freedom, and prosperity for the U.S., our allies and partners.
Polar Star will be turning 50 while deployed for this iteration of Operation Deep Freeze.
She had returned to Seattle only on September 23, following 308 days away that included the previous iteration of Operation Deep Freeze and maintenance at Mare Island Dry Dock in Vallejo, California. That’s not much time at all in home port for the sailors and their families.
Notably, the Polar Security Cutter program, which will replace the Polar Star, is over budget and late. If the current schedule holds (a big IF), the first PSC will be delivered in the spring of 2030, in time for Operation Deep Freeze 2031.
December 10: Operation Taconite Begins
From WBAY, the Green Bay Wisconsin ABC affiliate:
U.S. Coast Guard Sector Northern Great Lakes commenced Operation Taconite at 1 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 10, to prevent newly formed ice from hindering commercial traffic.
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter SPAR (WLB 206) is assigned to manage the ice breaking needs of western Lake Superior, specifically the twin ports of Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin, the Coast Guard says Wednesday.
As ice coverage expands, U.S. Coast Guard officials will assign additional icebreakers.
Operation Taconite is the Coast Guard’s largest domestic icebreaking operation. The operation encompasses Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, the St. Marys River, the Straits of Mackinac and the Georgian Bay.
Here is how the U.S. Coast Guard describes Operation Taconite (not “Taco Night”), its largest Great Lakes icebreaking operation:
The Coast Guard is responsible for conducting icebreaking operations to assist commercial vessel traffic in the connecting waterways of the United States. These include the connecting waters of the Great Lakes.
Great Lakes icebreaking consists of two task group organizations: Coal Shovel (Sector Detroit) Taconite (Sector Sault Sainte Marie). The groups are named for the principal products supported by the region – coal and taconite respectively.
Operation Taconite is the largest of these operations and is the largest domestic icebreaking operation in the U.S. Shipping offers the only effective means of transporting the vast amounts of iron ore from the mines at the Head of the Lakes needed to meet the demands of steel mills in Lake Erie and Lake Michigan. Operation Taconite is primarily responsible for ensuring the successful transport of this cargo amid the harsh winter conditions of the northern Great Lakes.
Published Articles:
Here are the articles related to U.S. Coast Guard icebreaking that I’ve published since September 30th:
Thoughts and Comments
The U.S. Coast Guard remains an engineering casualty away from not being able to perform its required missions in the Arctic and Antarctic.
In the Arctic, Healy was available to respond to China’s annual polar research patrol, assisted by Storis and a deployed National Security Cutter. It will be better when the U.S. Coast Guard has the dedicated assets to patrol and monitor ships within the Alaskan EEZ throughout the year. Healy remains primarily allocated to support research by the NSF, Office of Naval Research, National (ONR), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and other organizations.
In the Antarctic, the NSF lost its dedicated research vessel and the USAP continues to rely on the almost fifty-year old Polar Star to support the resupply of its research stations. The U.S. Coast Guard intends on keeping Polar Star in service until the second PSC is delivered, currently hoped for in 2032. The history of both Polar Star and the PSC program suggest that there should be a back-up plan, but the U.S. Coast Guard seems to have doubled down on Bollinger being able to complete the PSCs (while also naming Bollinger as a builder of ASCs, contract details still in negotiation).
Plans to update and expand the U.S. Coast Guard’s icebreaking fleet continue with President Trump and Stubb announcing a deal that will result in eleven ASCs being built for the U.S. Coast Guard (four built in Finland). I’ve heard that the ASC program of record has subsequently increased to 18 vessels.
Long-time readers will have likely noticed that I began covering U.S. domestic icebreaking in this article. I will continue to do so, as it similar to European and Canadian icebreaking news that I currently cover.
I hope to find out more about the status of the PSC program and to see details on the ASC contracts in the coming months. I will also cover the ICE Pact Statement of Intent, signed on November 18th by representatives from the governments of the USA, Finland, and Canada.
That’s it for today. More update articles coming on Canada, Europe, and Russia/China.
All the Best,
PGR
It is really mind-boggling how at the limit the US is operating its CG/Ice Breaker fleet… Hopefully the plan of the administration will be fruitful.
Most RFIs and Programs and Future this and that don’t happen, by design.
Success defeats job security, recursive failure is continued income.
Solution; if Storis works buy more Storis.
Sorry, just the truth.