Trump Calls US Icebreaker Fleet Gap with Russia ‘Ridiculous’
Speaking to graduates of the United States Coast Guard in New London, Trump pointed to a recently signed agreement with Finland involving the construction of 11 new icebreakers.
“We’re going to learn the craft and we’re going to have so many icebreakers,” Trump said. “You know, Russia has 48 and we have one very old one, that’s ridiculous.”
According to reports, Trump stated that the US ultimately aims to operate 55 icebreakers, which he said would strengthen American influence and operational capacity in the Arctic region.
The agreement with Finland was reportedly finalized earlier this year under the ICE Pact, a trilateral initiative involving the United States, Finland, and Canada that was launched during the administration of former President Joe Biden in 2024. Seven of the vessels are expected to be built at American shipyards.
Russia currently maintains the world’s largest and most powerful icebreaker fleet, which supports navigation and shipping operations along the country’s Arctic coastline. According to reports, the fleet includes more than 40 vessels, among them eight nuclear-powered icebreakers.
The newest addition to the Russian fleet is the Yakutia, an Arktika-class vessel reportedly capable of breaking through ice up to three meters thick. Additional ships of the same class are currently under construction and are expected to replace older Soviet-era vessels.
Russia also operates the Viktor Chernomyrdin, described in reports as the world’s most powerful diesel-electric icebreaker.
Meanwhile, the US Coast Guard’s Polar Star remains America’s only operational heavy icebreaker. Although it reportedly possesses greater propulsion power than some Russian vessels, it has been in service since the 1970s and is considered significantly outdated.
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