United States Coast Guard Heavy Icebreaker Polar Star (WAGB 10) in an undated picture in Antarctica. U.S. Coast Guard/Reuters
Congress’s sweeping tax and spending invoice, the Home-passed One Large Lovely Invoice Act, allocates greater than $8.6 billion for the deployment of the Coast Guard’s icebreaker fleet within the Arctic, as the USA seeks to increase its presence within the area.
Of that funding, $4.3 billion is allotted for the procurement of heavy icebreakers—often called Polar Safety Cutters—and associated tools, which is able to assist make sure the Coast Guard’s protection readiness within the Arctic and Antarctic areas.