Coast Guard Requests Information for New Domestic Icebreakers

The U.S. Coast Guard has opened two Requests for Information (RFI) aimed at modernizing its old icebreaking fleet. They are looking for vessel designs from U.S. and allied shipbuilders that can be built and ready to launch within 24 months of signing the contract.

This initiative is divided into two parts: medium and light icebreaker programs. The goal is to replace the Coast Guard's outdated 140-foot and 65-foot icebreakers with new Homeland Security Cutters that will keep U.S. waterways “open, safe, and secure,” supporting the $5.4 trillion maritime commerce each year.

Medium Icebreakers for the Great Lakes

The Homeland Security Cutter – Medium Icebreakers program aims to replace the existing 140-foot WTGB fleet that ensures safe navigation and commerce in the Great Lakes and Northeast. The RFI calls for vessels up to 140 feet long with a draft of 14 feet or less. These icebreakers should be able to independently break through ice that is at least 22 inches thick at a steady speed of three knots.

These vessels need to operate for seven days without refueling and support a crew of 19, which includes storage for fuel, drinking water, sewage, waste water, and food.

Light Icebreakers for Navigation Support

The related program focuses on replacing the 65-foot WYTL fleet, specifically designed to aid navigation in the Northeast. These smaller icebreakers should be no longer than 70 feet and have a 7-foot draft. They need to break through 12 inches of ice at three knots and sustain operations for three days with a crew of six.

Importantly, the light icebreakers must be capable of retrieving, deploying, storing, transporting, and servicing at least three 5×11-foot buoys, complete with their moorings and equipment, using a crane that can lift up to 4,500 pounds.

Urgent Timeline with a Focus on Domestic Production

The Coast Guard's RFI stresses the need for “recently proven execution and build strategies” and wants to understand the “capability, capacity, and availability of domestic shipyards” to support the construction and launch within 24 months. Contracts might be awarded by mid-2026, highlighting the urgency of replacing these essential assets.

This initiative involves both U.S. shipyards and those from allied nations, looking for existing or ready-to-produce icebreaking vessel designs.

Part of a Bigger Arctic Strategy

The push for new icebreakers coincides with a broader effort by the Coast Guard to strengthen its capabilities in the Arctic region. Recently, President Trump signed a memorandum that allows for building up to four Arctic Security Cutters in Finland and seven in U.S. shipyards to meet urgent national security needs in the contested Arctic area.

This agreement utilizes presidential authority to enable foreign construction on the grounds of national security and comes with nearly $9 billion allocated under Trump's “One Big Beautiful Bill” for developing a series of heavy, medium, and light Arctic Security Cutters.

The initiative includes $816 million for light and medium Icebreaking Cutters, along with $4.3 billion for Polar Security Cutters and $3.5 billion for three Arctic Security Cutters.

“We need icebreakers in the U.S. And if we can get some inexpensively, I’d like to do that,” President Trump stated.

Previously, domestic icebreaker programs were combined under a single Domestic Icebreakers Program but have now been separated into distinct medium and light icebreaker projects.