Fact Sheet — President Donald J. Trump Authorizes Construction of Arctic Security Cutters

Fact Sheet — President Donald J. Trump Authorizes Construction of Arctic Security CuttersAuthorizes construction of up to four Arctic Security Cutters (ASCs) abroad under 14 U.S.C. 1151(b) and 10 U.S.C. 8679(b) to meet urgent Arctic security needs.U.S.–Finland MOU: build four ASCs in Finnish shipyards, then leverage Finnish expertise to build up to seven ASCs in U.S. shipyards.Rationale: counter adversaries’ military/economic moves in the Arctic; current USCG polar fleet has only two operational ASCs; at least nine are needed year‑round.Strategy: foreign builds are a temporary bridge to on‑shore expertise and spur domestic shipbuilding; promises jobs, IP transfer, and billions in U.S. investment; ships to be among the most modern icebreakers.Context: first new ASC in 25 years added in August; prior memo accelerated icebreaker program; “One Big Beautiful Bill” includes nearly $9B for heavy/medium/light ASCs.