Davie Defense has secured a contract to build five new Arctic Security Cutters (ASC) for the US Coast Guard.
The deal is part of a broader program that could eventually field up to 11 vessels for the coast guard. The new cutters are designed to strengthen US presence in the Arctic, where icebreaking capability has become a growing strategic priority amid increased activity from other global powers.
Under the contract, two of the cutters will be built in Finland at Helsinki Shipyard, a sister facility within Davie’s parent group, to meet an accelerated delivery timeline that targets the first vessel by 2028.
The remaining three cutters will be constructed in Texas at Davie’s facilities in Galveston and Port Arthur, with US shipyard workers collaborating closely with Finnish teams experienced in polar-class icebreaker construction.
The ASC design is based on a platform that has already been delivered in seven variants from Helsinki Shipyard, all of which are currently in service.
Once delivered, the new cutters are expected to support a range of Coast Guard missions, including maritime security, search and rescue, and sustained operations in extreme polar conditions.
Arctic Security Cutter Program
The ASC program is the US Coast Guard’s long-term effort to modernize its aging icebreaking fleet and ensure consistent access to both the Arctic and Antarctic.
The program was formally authorized through a presidential memorandum calling for the construction of up to 11 new polar security cutters to replace legacy vessels and expand capacity.
US Coast Guard Commandant Kevin Lunday said that “accelerating construction of these cutters will enable the Coast Guard to defend our northern border and approaches, while strengthening domestic shipbuilding and reinforcing the nation’s industrial base.”
Aside from Davie Defense, the US Coast Guard in January 2026 already contracted Louisiana-based Bollinger Shipyards and Rauma Marine Constructions in Finland for the construction of six ASCs.
The coast guard also moved forward with other major contracts under a broader icebreaker modernization effort.
VT Halter Marine, now operating as Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding following its acquisition by Bollinger Shipyards in 2022, was selected to design and build the Polar Security Cutter, the coast guard’s largest and most capable icebreaker.
Prior to this, the US Coast Guard only had a single heavy icebreaker, the USCGC Polar Star from the late 1970s, and a single medium icebreaker, the USCGC Healy, commissioned in 1999.
