Finland’s premier icebreaker designer, Aker Arctic, has been awarded a contract to develop a new state-of-the-art mid-size icebreaker. The effort is part of a major fleet renewal program to ready Finland’s icebreaking fleet for the changing requirements in the Baltic Sea. The country is also part...
https://gcaptain.com/finland-moves-ahead-with-new-icebreaker-for-baltic-sea/
The construction of the first heavy icebreaker built in the United States in nearly five decades continues to inch along. The Department of Homeland Security approved the start of “full production” on the initial Polar Security Cutter on April 30, 2025.
In what could dramatically accelerate expansion of U.S. Arctic capabilities the Coast Guard is reportedly in negotiations with Finnish shipbuilder Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) for three to five medium-sized icebreakers….
The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (FTIA) has chosen Helsinki-headquartered Aker Arctic to design the next-generation Baltic Sea assistance icebreaker as part of the Winter Navigation Motorways of the Sea III (WINMOS III) project co-financed by the European Union. In addition to initial design, various technical evaluations and concept comparison, the work will include model tests and development of the final concept design package.
FTIA says that vessel will be a B+ size icebreaker...
https://www.marinelog.com/news/aker-arctic-to-design-next-generation-icebreaker-for-finland/
The U.S. Coast Guard has published a Request for Information (RFI) seeking input about construction of a medium-size icebreaker in just three years. The RFI is addressed to both U.S. and international shipyards highlighting the recent efforts to collaborate with Arctic partners in Canada and...
South Korea’s next-generation icebreaker is back on track. The country joins several other nations, including the U.S., Canada, Russia, China, and Germany upgrading and expanding their icebreaker capacity. Similar to…
Mississippi-based Bollinger Shipyards has received a $951.6 million Fixed-Price-Incentive-Firm Target (FPIF) contract modification from the U.S. Coast Guard to continue designing and constructing the first new heavy icebreakers, also known as the Polar Security Cutter (PSC).
The U.S. Coast Guard’s new icebreaker Storis appears on track for its first Arctic patrol during the summer of 2025. The vessel is currently undergoing conversion and retrofitting at a Florida shipyard turning the icebreaking anchor handling tug supply vessel (AHTS) Aiviq into the Coast Guard...
Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) has awarded Elomatic Maritime Technologies GmbH a design and engineering contract to support the construction of Germany’s new Polarstern 2 icebreaker. Set to become the world’s largest and most advanced icebreaking research and polar logistics ship, it is to be built for the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research at the Wismar Shipyard, which TKMS acquired in the wake of the collapse of MV Werften. It will replace the existing Polarstern.
Curren...
https://www.marinelog.com/news/elomatic-awarded-polarstern-2-icebreaker-design-contract/
Russian nuclear icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy (50 Years of Victory) suffered damage to its hull in a collision with a cargo ship while operating on the Northern Sea Route. Photos of the incident show a deep gash on the vessel’s port side near its bow.
https://gcaptain.com/russian-nuclear-icebreaker-sustains-damage-in-arctic-collision-with-cargo-ship/