The US Coast Guard (USCG) has finalized a $3.5-billion contract for Davie Defense to supply a new class of polar icebreaker vessels comprising five Arctic Security Cutters (ASCs).
The announcement follows after the USCG awarded the US subsidiary of UK-owned Inocea Group an initial contract in February, which enabled Davie Defense to begin planning while the final details were being polished.
Under the deal, the company’s Finnish affiliate, Helsinki Shipyard, will construct two of the ships. The remaining three will be built at Davie Defense’s facilities in Galveston and Port Arthur in Texas, which the company acquired from Gulf Copper in 2025.
This is the first fully finalized contract out of three for the ASC program, while the other two contracts are expected to be wrapped up soon.
The first ASC is slated for delivery by 2028, while the rest are expected to be completed by February 2035.
“Finalizing this contract represents decisive action to guarantee American security in the Arctic,” Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Kevin E. Lunday said.
ASC Program
The USCG launched the ASC program in October 2025, aiming for up to 11 vessels.
In late December of the same year, the service contracted Louisiana-based Bollinger Shipyards to build four ASCs and Finnish shipbuilder Rauma Marine Constructions to build two, for a total of six vessels.
This initiative aims to replace aging icebreaker ships by the 2030s and secure US interests amid the proliferation of economic and military security threats in the region.
“These cutters will ensure the Coast Guard’s ability to control, secure, and defend our northern border and maritime approaches,” according to Lunday.
