Davie Defense, a shipbuilder with two centuries of experience, plans to build a new shipyard in the United States’ Gulf Coast for its new “Arctic Security Cutters” design intended for the U.S. Coast Guard if awarded an icebreaker contract. Naval News has reached out the Davie Defense for more information.
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) intends to expand its very small icebreaker fleet, currently consisting of just three active icebreakers, the heavy Antarctic icebreaker Polar Star, and the medium Arctic icebreakers, Healy and Storis. Polar Star and Healy have been in service for decades, and Storis was recently acquired in November 2024 from a corporate company (was previously named M/V Aiviq) and converted by the USCG to join the Arctic icebreaker fleet in August 2025 as WAGB 21. Davie Defense is already involved in building new Canadian icebreakers: 3 medium icebreakers, 6 Program Icebreakers, and one large Polar Icebreaker.
Davie Defense, along with partnerships with Pearlson & Pearlson in Florida and Finland’s Helsinki Shipyard, intends to construct its “American Icebreaker Factory” in Gulf Copper shipyards located in Galveston, Texas; and if all goes to plan, the first Arctic Security Cutter (ASC) icebreakers will be ready to sail after 26 months of construction. Pearlson & Pearlson has collaborations with BAE Systems, Austal USA and Fincantieri Marinette as project leader.
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