U.S. icebreaker construction falling behind opening of Arctic - 0 views
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The U.S. Coast Guard won't have any heavy icebreakers available for polar operations for at least six months because of mechanical breakdowns in its small, aging fleet, officials say.
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Until now, the federal government's strategy has been to try to keep its two heavy icebreakers, both built in the 1970s, operating as long as possible.However, this strategy did not take into account how quickly global warming would make Arctic waters more accessible to commercial activities.Construction of a new icebreaker would cost about $1 billion, Goward said.
