Under U.S. law, Navy and Coast Guard ships must be built domestically, but in this case Donald Trump waived this requirement for national security reasons. The president cited “aggressive military policies and economic expansion by foreign adversaries,” meaning Russia and China, writes the BBC.
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For ships that can navigate ice-covered seas, the United States turned to a world expert — Finland.
Finland is the undisputed world leader in icebreakers. Finnish companies designed 80 percent. all icebreakers currently in operationand 60 percent of them were built in shipyards in Finland.
The country is leading out of necessity, explains Maunu Visuri, president and CEO of Finnish state-owned Arctia, which operates a fleet of eight icebreakers. “Finland is the only country in the world where all ports can freeze in winter,” says the BBC, adding that 97 percent goods are imported into this country by sea.
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Donald Trump wants to win the Arctic battle with Russia
During the coldest months, icebreakers keep Finnish ports open and act as pioneers for large cargo ships.
Trump announced in October that the United States planned to order four icebreakers from Finland for the U.S. Coast Guard. Another seven units are to be built in the US, using Finnish designs and expertise.
Greenland
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Michał Czernek / PAP / photos
New routes in the Arctic. “Much more traffic”
Climate change is making the Arctic Ocean increasingly navigable for cargo ships, at least if icebreakers lead the way in the process. This opens trade routes from Asia to Europe, either over Russia or north from Alaska and mainland Canada to Greenland.
See also: Greenland is the key. The Arctic is the new US front against China. That's how they want to keep them
Reduced ice levels also mean that oil and gas deposits under the Arctic are more accessible. “There's just a lot more traffic in this part of the world now.” – Peter Rybski, a retired US Navy officer and icebreaker expert from Helsinki, tells the BBC.
Finland builds icebreakers for the USA
Finnish company Rauma Marine Constructions will build two icebreakers for the US Coast Guard at its shipyard in the Finnish port of Rauma. Delivery of the first ship is planned for 2028.
Another four will be built in Louisiana, and all six ships will be designed by Aker Arctic Technology in collaboration with Canadian partner Seaspan.
The US orders are part of an effort to match Russia's number of icebreakers. Currently, Russia has about 40 of them, including eight nuclear-powered ones. By comparison, only three are currently in operation in the United States. Meanwhile, China operates about five polar-capable vessels.
Source: BBC
