Davie Defense Finalizes $3.5B Arctic Cutter Contract, First Ships to Homeport in Alaska

Davie Defense finalized a $3.5 billion contract with the U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday to build five Arctic Security Cutters (ASCs), a new class of medium polar icebreaker, with the first vessel set for delivery in 2028.

Three of the ships will be constructed at Davie’s Gulf Copper facilities in Galveston and Port Arthur, Texas, with two built at the company’s Helsinki Shipyard affiliate in Finland. The contract runs through February 2035.

“Finalizing this contract represents decisive action to guarantee American security in the Arctic,” Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Kevin E. Lunday said. “These cutters will ensure the Coast Guard’s ability to control, secure, and defend our northern border and maritime approaches.”

@USCG finalized a $3.5B contract with Davie Defense for construction & delivery of 5 Arctic Security Cutters (ASCs), a new class of polar icebreakers that will strengthen America’s maritime dominance in the Arctic.

Using nearly $25B provided by the historic 2025 budget…

— U.S. Coast Guard (@USCG) May 13, 2026

The Coast Guard confirmed in April that the first two ASCs delivered will be homeported in Alaska rather than at Coast Guard Base Seattle, where all three of the service’s existing icebreakers are currently based. “By strategically positioning these icebreakers in Alaska, the Coast Guard will maximize our ability to defend our northern border,” Lunday said.

Philip Burns-O’Brien, chief executive officer of Davie Defense, said Wednesday’s announcement “marks a major milestone in the ASC program” and reinforces the company’s role in U.S. Arctic maritime readiness.

The Davie contract is the third and final ASC award, completing the 11-ship program alongside December 2025 agreements with Bollinger Shipyards and Rauma Marine Constructions. The program is built on the 2024 Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE Pact) between the United States, Canada, and Finland.

Davie Defense is the U.S. arm of Inocea, a UK-owned maritime group with operations in Finland, Canada, and the United States, which acquired Gulf Copper’s Texas shipbuilding assets in December 2025.

A groundbreaking at the Galveston facility is scheduled for June 1, 2026, with up to $1 billion in additional U.S. shipbuilding investment expected, the company said.