The United States, Canada, and Finland have signed an MOU to develop and produce best-in-class polar vessels, including icebreakers, building on the ICE Pact announced at the NATO Summit in July. With Canada’s Arctic region warming at 4 times the global average, the region is becoming more accessible to adversaries with growing capabilities and regional military ambition. The ICE Pact focuses on information sharing, workforce development, research, and partnerships to accelerate icebreaker production and reduce costs. This collaboration is expected to boost shipbuilding jobs and strengthen the maritime industry, ensuring a competitive edge in polar capabilities amid shifting geopolitical dynamics. In May 2021, Canada announced the construction of two new polar icebreakers under the NSS at Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd. and Chantier Davie Canada Inc. Both polar icebreakers will have capacity and abilities beyond those of Canada’s current largest icebreaker, the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Louis S. St-Laurent.
