Megabill Allocates $8.6 Billion for Coast Guard Icebreakers to Boost Arctic Presence

The U.S. Coast Guard has said it needs a fleet of eight to nine polar icebreakers to ensure access to the polar regions.

U.S. Coast Guard Heavy Icebreaker Polar Star (WAGB 10) in Antarctica, in an undated photo. U.S. Coast Guard/Reuters

Congress’s sweeping tax and spending bill, the House-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act, allocates more than $8.6 billion for the deployment of the Coast Guard’s icebreaker fleet in the Arctic, as the United States seeks to expand its presence in the region.

Of that funding, $4.3 billion is allocated for the procurement of heavy icebreakers—known as Polar Security Cutters—and related equipment, which will help ensure the Coast Guard’s defense readiness in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.