Rauma Marine Constructions in Finland has made significant strides in building the first of two Arctic Security Cutters for the U.S. Coast Guard, with nearly half of the vessel's blocks already launched. Construction of the second ship is also getting underway, as noted by RMC's CEO.
Mika Nieminen, the CEO of RMC, explained to the Finnish newspaper Satakunnan Kansa that work at the Rauma shipyard picked up quickly after the final contract was signed earlier this summer.
“We have nearly completed launching half of the blocks for the first ship, and production for the second ship is on the horizon,” Nieminen shared.
This rapid progress is a result of preparations made before the contract was finalized. Nieminen mentioned that U.S. trade regulations delayed the official start of construction until the agreement was in place. However, the shipyard had already created prototype production units. This groundwork enabled them to swiftly transition to full production once the contract was activated.
The Coast Guard awarded the contract for two Arctic Security Cutters in December 2025, with delivery expected in 2028. The total value of the contract is about $1.1 billion, which was officially finalized in July.
The two cutters being built in Finland are part of a larger program involving six vessels, led by Bollinger Shipyards based in Louisiana. RMC is responsible for two of these vessels, while Bollinger will build four in the U.S. The ships are based on a design called the Multi-Purpose Icebreaker, developed by Canada’s Seaspan Shipyards in collaboration with Finnish icebreaker specialist Railo Technology, previously known as Aker Arctic.
The mature design was crucial for speeding up the program's timeline. Seaspan confirmed that its Multi-Purpose Icebreaker design was production-ready at the time the Coast Guard chose the consortium, which allowed for immediate construction rather than waiting for a new design to be developed.
The vessels from RMC are part of a larger plan by the Coast Guard to acquire a total of 11 Arctic Security Cutters. This strategy utilizes Finnish shipbuilding expertise to speed up delivery and transfer technology and production skills to U.S. yards. Four of the 11 vessels will be built in Finland, while the rest are planned for construction in the U.S.
In another initiative, two more Arctic Security Cutters are being constructed at Helsinki Shipyard under Davie Defense's five-ship contract with the Coast Guard. Sata Shipbuilding in Pori started cutting steel for the first vessel in June, with this ship also scheduled for delivery in 2028.
These simultaneous Finnish projects are part of a U.S.-Finland collaboration on icebreakers aimed at accelerating the delivery of new polar ships while enhancing U.S. shipbuilding capacity. The Coast Guard anticipates that the first Arctic Security Cutters will be operational by 2028, with the first two expected to be stationed in Alaska.