The United States May Lose Its Naval Presence in the Arctic

Vice Admiral Kevin Landy, the Deputy Commander of the U.S. Coast Guard, stated that the United States may lose its naval deployment in the Arctic this summer due to a fire on board the icebreaker "Healy." The military commander said at a seminar at the Brookings Institution in Washington that "the Healy icebreaker, one of only two icebreakers available to the U.S., had recently begun its summer patrols and was located north of Alaska and the Chukchi Sea. A few weeks ago, an electrical fire broke out in its engine room, and now the vessel must return to port for repairs." Landy confirmed that "many of the engine systems aboard the Healy are outdated, and some even lack replacement parts. We will work hard to repair the vessel and maintain the capability to support what remains of the patrol, but there are doubts about this matter." The admiral emphasized that "this is concerning because if the Healy is unable to continue this patrol, the United States will have no presence on the waters in the Arctic this summer." He also noted that the other U.S. icebreaker, "Polar Star," is 48 years old.