US to Order 48 Icebreakers: Donald Trump’s Announcement

US President Donald Trump announced that the United States intends to order the construction of 48 icebreakers. He made this statement during a meeting at the White House with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, as reported by TASS.

“We have ordered, we are in the process of ordering 48 icebreakers,” he said.

Currently, the United States has a fleet of only two diesel icebreakers: the USCGC Healy and the USCGC Polar Star. Both vessels are operated by the US Coast Guard.

The USCGC Healy was built at Avondale Industries in New Orleans in 1999, while the USCGC Polar Star was constructed at Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company in Seattle in 1976. Another icebreaker, the USCGC Polar Sea, is currently in preservation in California.

Since 2010, the US has been implementing a program to modernize its icebreaker fleet, which includes plans to order three new icebreakers. The first vessel is expected to be delivered to the Coast Guard in 2028, but as of March 2025, it has not yet been laid down.