Coast Guard Cutter Healy (WAGB 20) and crew conduct formation steaming exercises with Candian Coast Guard Ship Sir Wilfrid Laurier and crew in the Beaufort Sea, July 28, 2023. The crew conducted a passenger exchange with the Sir Wilfrid Laurier off the coast of Utqiagvik, Alaska. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Underwood)
Canadian and Finnish shipbuilders have made different offers to the United States for the production of icebreakers, which must weigh what it values more: speed or its sovereign shipyard industry.
It becomes a question of priorities with conflicting aims,
- Get them fast?
- Build in US yards to expand US shipbuilding capabilities?
- Increase the USCG budget to pay for rapid acquisition?
It is unlikely, possibly impossible, the answer to all these questions will be yes.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 