The United States is deepening its Arctic strategy under President Donald Trump, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announcing a three-nation agreement Tuesday to dramatically expand joint icebreaker production with Canada and Finland.

The new pact — formally called the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort, or ICE Pact — commits the United States, Canada, and Finland to build 11 new icebreakers over the next several years. The signing ceremony, held in Washington, included Noem, Canadian Ambassador Kirsten Hillman, and Finnish Minister of Economic Affairs Sakari Puisto.

“Today is a major milestone in the race to secure the Arctic for all of our countries,” Noem said Tuesday. “The Arctic is the world’s last, most wild frontier, and our adversaries are racing to claim its strategic position and its natural resources for their own. If we give up that high ground, then we will condemn future generations to permanent insecurity.”

The ICE partnership first launched in July 2024 as a strategic response to Russia’s rapid military buildup in the Arctic. While Russia operates dozens of icebreakers — including several nuclear-powered vessels — the United States has long lagged behind. The Trump administration has repeatedly described that gap as a national-security vulnerability, particularly as melting sea ice opens new shipping routes and increases global competition for Arctic access.

Finland, a world leader in icebreaker construction, will play a central role. The country delivered the Storis — the first U.S. polar icebreaker added to the American fleet in 25 years — last summer. Under the new pact, Finnish shipbuilders will help design the expanded fleet while Canada trains American workers in shipbuilding techniques specific to ice-capable vessels.

A Texas shipyard recently purchased by the federal government will eventually serve as the domestic production hub. Noem said the pact is not only a defense measure but a jobs program. “This strengthens our homeland security posture and creates American jobs at the same time,” she said. “Once our workers are trained, we will build our own ships here at home.”

Canadian Ambassador Hillman emphasized the necessity of joint planning. “The Arctic is becoming more accessible every year,” she said. “That brings opportunity — but also vulnerability. None of us can secure the region alone.”

For Finland, the partnership reinforces its status as a critical NATO-aligned builder of polar vessels. Minister Puisto said the agreement reflects “shared strategic responsibility for a region that is changing faster than at any time in modern history.”

Defense analysts note that while 11 new icebreakers will not erase Russia’s decades-long head start, the ICE Pact represents the most ambitious Arctic investment undertaken by a U.S. administration. For Trump, who has repeatedly framed the Arctic as a future battleground for global influence, the pact offers a concrete, high-visibility step toward bolstering America’s northern defenses.
Noem made that point plainly.

“We either lead in the Arctic,” she said, “or we leave the door wide open for those who wish us harm. This pact ensures we’re not stepping back.”