President Donald Trump signed a $6.1 billion agreement on Thursday with Finnish President Alexander Stubb that will allow the U.S. Coast Guard to purchase and build a combined total of 11 new icebreakers as the U.S. military seeks to counter the presence of Russia and China in the Arctic region.
Announcing the deal in a Thursday meeting with Stubb at the White House, Trump said, “We have a big order coming up. We’re buying icebreakers. We’re building them together for the most part. We’re doing four over there and seven over here. And we negotiated a pretty tough price, I think.”
“We’re buying the finest icebreakers in the world, and Finland is known for making them,” Trump added.
A White House official told Reuters that the Trump administration’s deal with Finland will allow the U.S. Coast Guard to acquire 11 new medium-sized Arctic security cutters. The official confirmed that the construction of the new ships is expected to cost roughly $6.1 billion.
The anonymous White House official told Reuters that four of the ships will be constructed at shipyards located in Finland, while the remaining seven ships will be constructed in U.S. shipyards with the help of Finland. Reuters reported that four of the icebreakers will be built in Houma, Louisiana, by Bollinger Shipyards, while three of the ships will be built in Galveston, Texas, by Davie.
READ MORE: Video/Pic: Finland ‘preparing for the worst’ amid major Russian military expansion
According to Reuters, the White House official said the plan is for the first icebreaker to be delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard by 2028. The official confirmed that the Coast Guard’s polar fleet currently has only two operational Arctic security cutters and that the Trump administration’s deal with Finland to build more Arctic security cutters is expected to lead to billions of dollars in U.S. investment and thousands of skilled trade job openings.
“We need these ships very badly because we have a lot of territory, more than anybody, and so I’m very honored to have this deal,” Trump said during Thursday’s meeting. “It’s going to be a great partnership.”
In a statement obtained by Fox News, Adm. Kevin Lunday, acting commandant of the Coast Guard, said, “With a strong icebreaker fleet, the Coast Guard will protect America’s sovereignty and interests against global threats in the Arctic for decades to come.”
Fox News reported that military and intelligence officials previously warned that Russia has a fleet of over 40 icebreakers, including nuclear-powered ships. Additionally, the outlet noted that China considers itself a “near-Arctic” power and is pushing for greater influence in the Arctic region.
According to Fox News, the growing interest in the Arctic region by the United States, Russia, and China comes as the region currently has significant deposits of minerals, rare earth elements, and hydrocarbons.
