The U.S. is in talks with Finnish state-owned shipyard Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) to build a series of medium-sized icebreakers, according to Finnish media reports. A week ago, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) issued a Request for Information (RFI) for small icebreakers (370 feet long) seeking shipbuilders capable of delivering within three years of contract award.
The Finnish president and U.S. President Donald Trump were reportedly in talks on icebreaker-related topics back in March. Trump declared at the time that “the United States intends to buy 40 icebreakers.” In addition, more than a week ago, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also held in-depth discussions on the icebreaker program.
USCG is reportedly in talks with RMC to build up to five medium-sized icebreakers, with an order value of around €2.5 billion ($2.85 billion). The two sides are also in exploratory discussions for three larger vessels.
USCG has approached a number of shipbuilders around the world to assess each yard’s ability to deliver icebreakers within 36 months. The Yle noted that the negotiations do not guarantee a deal. But Finland’s foreign minister was positive after meeting with Rubio, saying, “We will likely have concrete news fairly soon.”
RMC, located in the Bosnian Gulf in south-western Finland, emphasizes on its website that its predecessor, Aker Finnyards, built three multi-purpose icebreakers between 1993 and 1998, which were maintained by RMC. The yard also has extensive experience in reinforcing ice-class hulls, including the ferry Aurora Botnia, which was built in 2021.
RMC has been building ferries, including a ferry project for Tasmania, and has recently completed the hull of the first of four multi-purpose frigates for the Finnish Navy. The first vessel in the series will be launched in the near future and construction has already begun on the second vessel, all of which will be capable of navigating in ice conditions. To ensure that the project progresses smoothly, the shipyard has constructed a brand new enclosed workshop and is actively laying out to prepare for a fleet renewal order for existing icebreakers in Scandinavia.
Established in 2014, RMC is a fully nationalized Finnish company. According to the company’s disclosure, as of October 2024, it has orders on hand scheduled through 2028 with a total value of more than €1 billion.