Expert says criticised US icebreaker deal offers solid value

An Aalto University maritime engineering expert has defended the planned purchase of 11 icebreakers involving Finnish shipyards, saying the deal appears beneficial for the United States, Yle reports.

Associate Professor Mikko Suominen said the agreement would support US icebreaker production, offer a reasonable price and meet demand with Finland’s ability to build the vessels quickly.

The New York Times has criticised the deal, particularly the decision to bypass competitive tendering and what it described as inadequate preparation. Suominen said he was not familiar with the relevant US legislation, but added that the agreement did not initially appear suspicious.

He said the project may have needed to start during the current administration’s term, leaving insufficient time for a competitive process. Even if a tender had been held, Finland would probably have had a significant advantage, he said.

“I can’t name anyone else who could have built icebreakers in the time the Finns could,” Suominen said.

Suominen also said the total price, about seven billion dollars, did not appear unusually high. He compared it with the costs of the United States’ delayed Polar Security Cutter icebreakers, which have risen into the billions. Although the vessels have different designs and capabilities, he said, they are in the same price range.

Production continuity for US shipyards

The order for 11 icebreakers is large compared with the United States’ current fleet. The country has only a few ocean-going icebreakers, not all of which are seaworthy, and only one is comparable in size to the vessels covered by the agreement.

The New York Times reported that the US Coast Guard had requested a much smaller number. Suominen said the appropriate number depended on how the icebreakers would be used. If their duties remained the same as those of the current fleet, 11 would sound excessive. If the United States wanted to increase its presence in the regions concerned, however, the number might not be too large.

Distances in the Arctic are long, and icebreakers also require regular maintenance, Suominen said.

Seven of the icebreakers are intended to be built in the United States. Suominen said larger production volumes would give US shipyards greater continuity, helping them retain skilled staff and potentially secure further orders.

He said it would not make sense to invest in facilities and train personnel for the construction of just one icebreaker. “If you think that initial investment is needed to get the operation running, it is probably quite a good deal for them,” he said.

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and President Alexander Stubb sealed a letter of intent on the icebreaker deal with US President Donald Trump on October 9, 2025. Orpo said at the time that securing the agreement for Finland had not been straightforward.