$8bn for icebreakers
The U.S. Coast Guard received substantial funding as part of President Trump’s massive budget bill earlier this summer; likely sufficient to acquire up to 6-8 icebreakers. Exact fleet size and the mix of large and medium vessels ultimately depends on where they will be built.
While Finland has a proven track record constructing large polar-class vessels for under $500 million, an equivalent icebreaker under construction in the U.S. currently will likely carry a $2 billion price tag when it’s complete in the 2030s.
At a NATO summit in June, Trump confirmed U.S. talks with Finland to acquire up to 15 icebreakers, including the possible purchase of a lightly used vessel. Though no concrete steps have emerged in the months since.
Waiver
One key aspect will be whether Trump could waive domestic-build rules applicable to defense spending to fast-track Finnish icebreakers.
The president has the ability to grant a waiver in exceptional cases though it could come with domestic pushback from lawmakers who don’t want American taxpayer dollars flowing abroad.
While building icebreakers in Finland could in the short-term plug the U.S. icebreaker gap, it may do little to reinvigorate the American shipbuilding sector – a longstanding goal of the U.S. President.
