Protection of interests: United States sent the Storis icebreaker to the Arctic

The US icebreaker Storis has embarked on its maiden voyage to protect US sovereign interests in the Arctic and fulfill Coast Guard missions.

The U.S. Coast Guard reported that this is the first polar icebreaker acquired by the service in more than 25 years. Its arrival marks an important milestone in the transformation of the agency.

The Arctic is the northern polar region of the Earth, which includes the northern coasts of Europe, Asia, America, almost the entire Arctic Ocean, as well as adjacent parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

This region was the object of geopolitical confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Both countries deployed advanced weapons and surveillance systems there.

Since the 2000s, competition in the region has begun to grow sharply again.

The Arctic is at the center of world politics due to global warming and shrinking ice cover, which allows for increased merchant shipping and mining.

In 2023, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security recognized that the Kremlin’s ability to build up forces in the Arctic Ocean exceeded Washington’s capabilities.

Russia has renewed Soviet Arctic bases and is able to mobilize state-owned companies and resources, which gives it a significant advantage over the West.

In addition, the U.S. icebreaker fleet, which is necessary for navigation in the Arctic, is significantly inferior to the Russian one.

The United States has only three icebreakers in the region, while Russia has about 30. One of the US ships is 50 years old, and another was decommissioned in 2024 after a fire. China has purchased and sent three of its own icebreakers to the Arctic region.

In 2025 alone, the US Coast Guard placed an order for the construction of a new heavy icebreaker for the first time in half a century as part of its fleet renewal program.

Also this year, the Service sent the only heavy icebreaker, the USCGC Polar Star, for overhaul.

Icebreaker Storis

In 2024, the US Coast Guard acquired the Aiviq, which was renamed Storis after modernization. The vessel was equipped with improved communication and self-defense systems.

The ship’s crew is hybrid, consisting of both military and civilian sailors.

The Aiviq was built in 2012 in Louisiana as a multifunctional ice-class supply ship to support oil and gas exploration and production programs in the Arctic.

It was constructed by Edison Chouest Offshore for USD 200 million and was initially chartered by Shell for offshore oil exploration.

The main tasks of the vessel were towing and anchoring drilling rigs, as well as oil spill response.

Aiviq was the only available vessel that met most of the US Coast Guard’s requirements. In 2024, the Service received $125 million for its acquisition.