Davie Defense Signs Agreement with the United States Coast Guard – Construction of Two Icebreakers to Begin at Helsinki Shipyard
by: HELSINKI SHIPYARD
U. S.-based shipbuilder Davie Defense, part of the same group as Helsinki Shipyard, has reached an agreement with the United States Coast Guard for five Arctic Security Cutter – class vessels that will strengthen and expand the United States’ operational capabilities in the Arctic.
The first two vessels will be built at Helsinki Shipyard, with three to be constructed by Davie Defense in Texas. The first icebreaker will be delivered from Helsinki as early as 2028. Finnish icebreaker expertise, specialized know-how and technology will also play a central role in the vessels built in the United States.
Work will commence immediately, with construction led by Helsinki Shipyard in cooperation with Sata Shipbuilding at the Mäntyluoto shipyard in Pori. The Pori yard will supply block sections for the vessels.
“ We greatly value the trust placed in us to build five icebreakers for the United States Coast Guard, two of which will be constructed in Finland. Helsinki Shipyard’ s proven icebreaker solutions and worldclass design and shipbuilding expertise, combined with steel production in Pori, enable an exceptionally fast delivery schedule. The project is a strong testament to Finland’ s and our company’ s long-standing expertise in icebreaker construction and shipbuilding,” says Mika Heiskanen, CEO of Davie’ s Finnish shipyards.
Helsinki Shipyard is a world-leading designer and builder of icebreakers. Approximately half of the world’ s operational icebreakers have been built at the yard. The shipyard and its domestic partners have decades of experience in advanced design, model testing, precision manufacturing and specialized supply chains.
The vessels for the United States Coast Guard are based on the MPPS-100 vessel concept designed and owned by Helsinki Shipyard. The Arctic Security Cutter( ASC) vessels represent the fourth generation of this concept. The total employment impact of the two vessels is estimated at approximately 5,000 person-years.
“ This contract is already the second major icebreaker order for Helsinki within a year and continues Finland’ s long tradition as a supplier of world-class Arctic vessels. Our MPPS-100 concept is built on our unparalleled expertise in icebreaker design and ensures that our know-how supports allied operations in the world’ s most challenging conditions,” says Kim Salmi, CEO of Helsinki Shipyard.
12 seatec 1 / 2026