Defense bill includes funding for icebreaker that would likely be based in Juneau

The U.S. Coast Guard is increasing its fleet of icebreakers and might be homeporting one of many vessels in Alaska. Icebreakers are constructed with thicker hulls to navigate the world’s icy, northernmost waters.

The U.S. Senate voted Thursday night to authorize the Nationwide Protection Authorization Act for the upcoming fiscal 12 months.

On a name with reporters Wednesday, Sen. Dan Sullivan, a Republican, mentioned the Nationwide Protection Authorization Act for the upcoming fiscal 12 months appropriates $150 million in direction of shopping for and changing an current icebreaker. The vessel most definitely can be homeported in Juneau, in keeping with Sullivan.

Sullivan mentioned he hopes it’s the primary of many to be sometime based mostly in Alaska.

“It ought to be a collection of ports in our state that may homeport an icebreaker, however proper now I believe that is enormous information for our state,” mentioned Sullivan.

The U.S. presently has two operational Arctic icebreakers, each based mostly in Seattle. The Division of Protection introduced plans late final 12 months to construct a brand new icebreaker at a price of $552,654,727.

Sullivan mentioned including an icebreaker to Alaska’s current Coast Guard fleet would carry 190 service members and a whole lot of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in infrastructure spending to the state.

Language within the laws would additionally reduce down the timeline for buying an current icebreaker from greater than six years down to at least one, in keeping with Sullivan.

Sullivan mentioned including to the fleet in Alaska is a high precedence. Russia has the world’s largest icebreaker fleet, with dozens greater than the U.S.

“All people in our state intuitively is aware of we’d like extra icebreakers to advertise our safety, financial, environmental pursuits. And if in case you have icebreakers in America, they need to be homeported within the Arctic,” mentioned Sullivan.

Each Sen. Sullivan and Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted in favor of the invoice Thursday night. The ultimate model outlines $858 billion in protection spending. It now heads to President Biden’s desk.