ICE Pact

[Moose]

The US, Canada, and Finland have announced a new Icebreaker Collaboration Effort pact to pool their combined technical and industrial capabilities on Icebreaker design and construction.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1811407613160010099

View: https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1811407613160010099?t=74SAS5inq6qeuz7W9MranQ&s=19

Bollinger, which is building the US Coast guard's Polar Security Class icebreakers, welcomes the news.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1811473771691216911

View: https://twitter.com/BollingerShip/status/1811473771691216911?t=22Q0nQL_yhEuQkdq_Hnmww&s=19

 

[Apophenia]

... Pascagoula, MS is now the icebreaker capital of the world! ...

Umm, is this Bollinger Mississippi's Al Haig moment?

And here were those gullible Canucks and Finns thinking that ICE Pact was going to be a 3-nation collaboration ...

 

[donnage99]

we need one between US, Japan, and Korea to help navy get to its number

 

[Forest Green]

On Thin Ice: Another Fire Aboard A Coast Guard Icebreaker Underscores Glaring Capability Gap

The fire has forced Healy to abandon its summer Arctic patrol, calling into question the adequacy of the USCG's icebreaker fleet.

www.twz.com

 

[Forest Green]

ICE Pact: Why the US had to recruit help in race with Russia, China for Arctic icebreakers - Breaking Defense

Russia has the world's largest icebreaker fleet, and China is investing. Here's how many icebreakers the US and its allies have - and how they intend to compete going forward.

breakingdefense.com

 

[WatcherZero]

Canadian shipbuilder Davie of Quebec is in talks to purchase an unnamed US shipyard, this would give it shipyards in all three countries after it bought Helsinki in 2023 and so position it to lead the tri-nation icebreaker project.

Canadian shipyard in talks to buy US shipbuilder amid trade war talk

Quebec-based Davie looks to play a prominent role in a US-Canadian-Finnish agreement to jointly build new icebreakers.

www.defensenews.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

Seaspan and Davie have both positioned themselves to play important roles as part of the trilateral Icebreaker Collaboration Effort, or ICE Pact, which seeks to combine Finnish, Canadian, and U.S. expertise to build advanced ice boats.

While the U.S. has not yet clearly defined its icebreaker requirements and industry strategy, President Donald Trump has said he wants to buy 40 new ones.

Canada awards multibillion-dollar deals for new icebreakers, warships

The federal government announced plans construct two new Arctic icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard.

www.defensenews.com

 

[Apophenia]

My guess is that ICE Pact has now entered Stage IV.

Back in Dec 2024, Chantier Davie made a deal with Pearlson & Pearlson Inc. to remake their Lévis yard. The Pearlson Group is based in Kendall, FL (coincidentally also the starting point for 'Evangelists for Trump'). Having committed to a contract, Davie may be obliged to continue with Pearlsons ... unless Davie intended to leave Québec entirely for the US.

In the current climate, Davie pushing on with their purchase of a US yard would give very confused signals. Certainly such a move would be the end of their on-going bail-outs from Ottawa. With that in mind, the new Canadian icebreaker deal is probably by way of a consolation prize for Davie.

Of course, the Davie contract is also a smack in the mouth to the perennially late Seapan (not to mention its American owner, Dennis Washington, who relies on Seaspan's Unlimited Liability Company status to claim tax credits in the US).