“I think we have one functioning icebreaker today,” Tillerson said at the Wilson Center. “The Coast Guard’s very proud of it, as crummy as it is.”
I am only posting this because of who said it.
Secretary Tillerson may not well informed about our icebreaker situation, but generally he got it right. This is a bad news, good news story.
Bad news, the Coast Guard was the butt of the joke.
Good news, at least someone in the Administration knows we need more icebreakers.
Another 5 years and $1B dollars before any new heavy icebreaker enters service. Should the USCG look at lighter icebreakers like the new French one (Astrolabe) which only cost $50 million? Good enough for resupply in Antartica, though cannot do ramming or break ice thicker >4ft.
https://scontent-cdg2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/24232515_1589399314416594_4651689161469312837_n.jpg?oh=1431a1b2f1ee06d22a11ef46f17e3cbe&oe=5A8BCD4D
https://scontent-cdg2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/23915906_1589399291083263_6774116396502197388_n.jpg?oh=cb211ca92acbaf519eab3b09e58c5951&oe=5AD48783
What would the USCG do with a vessel like the L’Astrolabe? Last time I checked, they were looking specifically for heavy polar icebreaking capability required to complete the McMurdo mission.
Firstly, I apologize for the short answers; I’m writing this with a phone.
Icebreakers are tailored to the mission defined by their operator. This includes operational area, environmental conditions etc. The USCG probably (hopefully) has a pretty good idea of where they want to be able to go and what they want to be able to do there. Thus, you can’t just pick a foreign design and then start thinking about what they could do with it – you would end up losing money by buying something that doesn’t really meet your needs. A thousand Smarts is not enough if the job requires a pickup truck…
Also, low ice class vessels have the risk of being labeled “slush breakers” – just look at the Canadian AOPS.
Anyway, there will be a time when the USCG need something like that as well…