Sen. Sullivan, Coast Guard Commandant Commission Icebreaker Storis in Juneau
By Office of Senator Sullivan on Comments Off on Sen. Sullivan, Coast Guard Commandant Commission Icebreaker Storis in Juneau
JUNEAU, ALASKA—Sunday, U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Admiral Kevin Lunday, acting commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), participated in the commissioning ceremony of the United States Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Storis in Juneau, America’s first new icebreaker in a generation. Senator Sullivan has long championed the effort to build new American icebreakers and to procure commercially-available icebreakers, and to homeport them in Alaska in order to close the icebreaker gap in the Arctic amid rising tensions and increased activity from America’s adversaries, particularly Russia and China.
As chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee overseeing the Coast Guard, Senator Sullivan played a key role in securing the largest investment in the U.S. Coast Guard’s history—nearly $25 billion—in the One Big Beautiful Bill, signed into law on July 4. This historic funding allocates $300 million to support shoreside infrastructure for the homeporting of the Storis.
“With the arrival of the Storis to its new homeport in Juneau, we mark not just the commissioning of a vessel, but a strategic milestone in America’s Arctic future,” Senator Sullivan said.“This ship is an investment in real capability, real people, and a real presence in the region that defines the next chapter of global security, commerce, and energy. The homeporting of the Storis right here in Juneau sends a clear and deliberate message: The United States is an Arctic nation, Alaska is an Arctic state, and the United States Coast Guard is a capable and growing Arctic force.”
At the ceremony, Senator Sullivan also welcomed the officers, crew, and families of the USCGC Storis to Juneau, recognizing their critical role in advancing America’s Arctic presence and executing a wide array of important missions in the state.
The United States’ only operational heavy icebreaker, the Polar Star, which is on its second life extension, is currently undergoing repairs in California. America’s one medium icebreaker, the Healy, recently suffered an engine fire and is in the process of returning to port for repairs. Russia has 55 icebreakers and is in the process of building more. By 2025, China, which has no sovereignty over any Arctic waters, is set to surpass the United States’ icebreaker fleet. The Alaska congressional delegation has long since recognized this as a competitive disadvantage in the Arctic and advocated for additional resources to bolster the USCG icebreaker fleet.
“So let’s be clear: Arctic security is American security,” Senator Sullivan said. “This region is undergoing monumental change. Sea ice is receding. New trade routes are opening. Vast reserves of natural resources are becoming accessible. And our adversaries are moving fast to assert control. The Russians and Chinese are increasingly in our air and in our waters, including unprecedented joint operations. We had a joint Russian-Chinese strategic bomber task force in our Air Defense Identification Zone last summer, and we’ve had joint Chinese-Russian Navy task forces in our waters last summer and the summer before. These are not one-offs. These are warning signs. If we’re not ready to lead in the Arctic, others will—and they’ll be happy to do it for us. That’s why the Storis is so important.”
Below is a timeline of Sen. Sullivan’s work to secure a commercially-available icebreaker.
December 17, 2020 – Sen. Sullivan has a phone call with Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition James Geurts and presses for the purchase of a commercially-available icebreaker.
December 18, 2020 – Sen. Sullivan has a call with USCG Commandant Admiral Karl Schultz and presses for the purchase of a commercially-available icebreaker.
January 26, 2021 – Sen. Sullivan has a pre-confirmation meeting with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Mayorkas, and presses for the purchase of a commercially-available icebreaker.
February 24, 2021 – Sen. Sullivan speaks with Sec. Mayorkas and again presses for the purchase of a commercially-available icebreaker.
May 2, 2021 – Sen. Sullivan speaks with Sec. Mayorkas and again presses for the purchase of a commercially-available icebreaker.
May 4, 2021 – Sen. Sullivan has a follow-up phone call with Sec. Mayorkas and again presses for the purchase of a commercially-available icebreaker.
April 27, 2021 – Sen. Sullivan has a call with Deputy Office of Management & Budget (OMB) Director Shalanda Young and presses for the inclusion of a commercially-available icebreaker in President Biden’s budget, which first appeared in the FY 2023 budget request.
March 17, 2021 – Sen. Sullivan has a meeting with Shalanda Young on nominations and icebreakers.
March 2021 – Sen. Sullivan has numerous phone calls with members of the National Security Council, including White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and outgoing White House National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien to advocate for the purchase of a commercially-available icebreaker.
April 30, 2022 – During her confirmation hearing to serve as USCG commandant, Admiral Linda Fagan commits to Sen. Sullivan to deliver a study, no later than fall 2022, on the potential homeporting of an icebreaker in Alaska.
December 2022 – Sen. Sullivan secures a provision in the 2022 Coast Guard Authorization Act authorizing $150 million for the expedited procurement of a commercially-available icebreaker.
December 2022 – Sen. Sullivan secures a provision in the 2022 Coast Guard Authorization Act authorizing the conveyance of 2.4 acres of waterfront property from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to the USCG to facilitate the homeporting of an icebreaker in Juneau, Alaska. The transfer was completed on February 7, 2024.
January 24, 2023 – Sen. Sullivan has a call with Admiral Fagan to discuss the inclusion of funding for a commercially-available icebreaker in the USCG’s FY 2024 budget request.
January 27, 2023 – Sen. Sullivan has a call with Sec. Mayorkas successfully advocating for the inclusion of funding for a commercially-available icebreaker in the USCG’s FY 2024 budget request.
August 19, 2023 – Sen. Sullivan meets with Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, to press for the inclusion of funding for a commercially-available icebreaker in FY 2024 appropriations.
January 9, 2024 – Sens. Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) send a letter to OMB Director Shalanda Young advocating for the inclusion of a commercially-available icebreaker in the President’s budget.
March 8, 2024 – Sen. Sullivan has a call with House Appropriations Committee Chair Kay Granger (R-Texas) advocating for the inclusion of a commercially-available icebreaker in the FY 2024 appropriations bill.
March 12, 2024 – Sen. Sullivan advocates with each member of the Senate Appropriations Committee for the purchase of a commercially-available icebreaker.
March 23, 2024 – Acquisition of a commercially available icebreaker is funded in FY 2024 appropriations.
July 25, 2025 – Sen. Sullivan secures $300 million in the One Big Beautiful Bill to homeport the Storis in Juneau, Alaska.
