June 4, 2025 —
Photo courtesy of Edison Chouest Offshore.
Coast Guard Cutter Storis, the first polar icebreaker acquired by the Coast Guard in more than 25 years, departed on its maiden voyage to safeguard U.S. sovereign interests in the Arctic and conduct Coast Guard missions less than six months after the Coast Guard awarded a contract and took delivery of the vessel.
Storis will expand U.S. operational presence in the Arctic and support Coast Guard missions while the polar security cutter (PSC) class is in production. Storis will be commissioned this August in Juneau, Alaska, which will be the vessel’s permanent homeport once shore infrastructure upgrades are completed. Storis will operate out of Seattle while shore infrastructure work in Juneau is underway.
Acquisition of a commercially available polar icebreaker does not affect the acquisition of the PSCs, and the vessel will not be included in the PSC program of record. Storis was acquired under an accelerated strategy to bolster mission readiness in the Arctic region while production on the PSC progresses.
For more information: Polar Security Cutter Program page