WASHINGTON — The White House today signed a memorandum of understanding with Finland today to acquire four icebreakers from Finnish shipyards, officials from both countries said.

“The MOU lays the foundation for commercial agreements between the United States Coast Guard and Finnish companies,” Finnish President Alexander Stubb said in a post on X. “The US administration has negotiated directly with companies. I’m proud that Finnish arctic expertise is appreciated and trusted. The cooperation benefits both countries, Finland and the United States. The deal would not have been possible without President [Donald] Trump.”

The agreement will have Finnish shipyards construct four Arctic Security Cutters (ASC), medium-sized icebreakers that will operate in parallel with the Coast Guard’s largest class of ships, the new Polar Security Cutter, Reuters first reported.

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Reuters also reported that the agreement with Finland will lead to seven ASCs being built in the United States with three being constructed by Davie Defense at its new Galveston, Texas, shipyard and the other four by Bollinger Shipyards in Louisiana. The icebreaker program in total is expected to cost $6.1 billion. A White House official confirmed Reuters’ reporting to Breaking Defense.

Two of the Finnish-built icebreakers will be constructed at Rauma Marine Constructions’ shipyard, which partnered with Bollinger and two other firms, to pitch the Coast Guard, according to company statements.

“Today’s award is a testament to President Trump’s leadership and his historic investment in America’s maritime industrial base,” said Ben Bordelon, president and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards, in a statement. “We appreciate the trust President Trump has placed in the skilled men and women of Bollinger Shipyards and stand ready to begin construction on these critical vessels on day one. The Arctic Security Cutter will enable the United States to rapidly project American power, enforce our sovereignty, and reassert American dominance in the arctic.”

A spokesperson for Davie did not respond to requests for comment today.

The US Coast Guard in recent months has been signaling to industry it would soon advance its Arctic Security Cutter program through a series of requests for information and discussions with vendors from multiple countries.

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The service is in desperate need of icebreakers, an objective championed by Trump since returning to the White House, to compete with Russia and China in the High North. Its operational icebreaker fleet recently expanded to three ships with the newest vessel, Storis (WAGB-21), completing its first patrol earlier this month.

“As a medium polar icebreaker, Storis expands the U.S. operational forces available to secure maritime dominance in the Arctic and will support Coast Guard missions while the agency pursues acquisition of additional medium and heavy polar icebreakers,” the Coast Guard said in a statement. “Upon returning to Seattle, Storis will enter a six-week training period where the ship and the crew will undergo major training evolutions, system and program recapitalization, and a two-week underway phase with scheduled engagements in Victoria, Canada.”

Updated 10/9/2025 at 5:45 pm ET with comments from Bollinger Shipyards.