Vancouver shipyard signs deal to design U.S. icebreakers

Seaspan Shipyards agreed to provide designs for up to six 100‑metre icebreakers to the U.S. Coast Guard, and Canada is separately moving ahead with a 16‑vessel program whose first ship is expected in 2030.

Seaspan Shipyards of North Vancouver has reached an agreement to supply the United States Coast Guard with the same multi‑purpose icebreaker design it developed for Canada. The design covers up to six 100‑metre vessels intended for Arctic operations. Seaspan has been developing the design under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy since 2020 in partnership with Finnish designers. Canada already plans to acquire 16 of the class, with the first delivery expected in 2030. Key details: - The agreement covers designs for up to six 100‑metre multi‑purpose icebreakers that the company says can operate in up to 1.2 metres of ice and have an approximate range of 22,000 kilometres. - Seaspan described the deal as its first‑ever export sale and declined interviews, referring financial questions to the U.S. Coast Guard. - The arrangement involves a partnership with U.S.‑based Bollinger Shipyards, which will build two vessels, and Finland’s Rauma Marine Constructions, which will build four. - Finnish‑built vessels are expected to be delivered to the U.S. in 2028, with the first American‑built ship anticipated in 2029. - The U.S. Coast Guard said the new cutters will strengthen operations in Alaskan and Arctic waters; a trilateral agreement with Finland and the U.S. was signed last November to expand icebreaker fleets. Summary: The agreement extends a Canadian‑developed icebreaker design to U.S. forces and involves construction partners in the U.S. and Finland. Deliveries are scheduled with Finnish‑built ships arriving in 2028 and the first U.S.‑built vessel in 2029, while Canada continues its 16‑vessel program with a first delivery planned for 2030. Details on the financial terms were not disclosed.