Bollinger Shipyards quietly cut steal for the first Arctic Security Cutter (ASC) planned for construction in the U.S. According to a report from the U.S. Naval Institute, Bollinger cut first steal two months before the contract was finalized. The Coast Guard finalized a $2.2 billion contract with Bollinger last week for four ASC hulls as well as a $1.1 billion contract for two ASC hulls to be built in Finland by Rauma Marine Constructions.
The U.S. has funded construction of 11 icebreakers, four of which will be homeported in Alaska. An existing icebreaker named the Storis was commissioned in Juneau on August 10, 2025. The next two icebreakers under construction will be homeported in Kodiak and the fourth will be homeported in Seward.
President of Bollinger Ben Bordelon said that Bollinger cut first steel back in April. “We didn’t have a big ceremony because we were working under an [initial contract] that gave us some ability to start early,” he said. “We did some of that at risk anyway— where we went ahead and decided to focus our efforts, and frankly, dollars and resources on the program sooner than later.”
According to Senator Dan Sullivan, who helped secure funding to build America’s icebreaker fleet, the Coast Guard “is really pushing for speed.” Currently, Russia far outpaces America in icebreaker assets. Building up America’s icebreaker fleet has been a particular focus of the Trump Administration. Recognizing the importance of strengthening our national security, the Coast Guard aims to have all three ships operational in Alaska by the end of 2028, which Sen. Sullivan says is “an aggressive timeline” that he will continue to push.
“Homeporting Arctic Security Cutters in Alaska underscores the United States’ leadership as a maritime power in the Arctic,” said Adm. Kevin E. Lunday, commandant of the Coast Guard. “By strategically positioning these state-of-the-art icebreakers in Alaska, the Coast Guard will maximize our ability to defend our northern border and approaches, while reinforcing America’s maritime dominance in a crucial region of strategic importance.”
According to a product sheet from Canadian designer Seaspan, the Arctic Security Cutters will be Polar Class 4 capable of breaking ice about 4 feet thick, with a range of 12,000 nautical miles and a complement of 85 crewmembers.
