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.
The funding also includes $3.5 billion to acquire medium polar icebreakers, also known as Arctic Security Cutters, to “ensure timely presence of the Coast Guard” in both polar regions….