US Coast Guard’s cutter Storis kicks off maiden voyage

The US Coast Guard cutter Storis (WAGB 21), the coast guard’s first polar icebreaker acquired in more than 25 years, has departed on its maiden voyage in the Arctic.

The motor vessel Aiviq, acquired in December 2024 from an Edison Chouest Offshore subsidiary, was renamed Storis following modifications to enhance communications and self-defense capabilities. The vessel will expand US operational presence in the Arctic and support US Coast Guard missions while the service awaits the delivery of the Polar Security Cutter (PSC) class.

Last month, US shipbuilder Bollinger Shipyards received approval to begin full production activities on the PSC program. Completion of the first PSC is anticipated by May 2030.

The vessel is manned with a hybrid crew consisting of military cuttermen and civilian mariners. This is the second vessel in Coast Guard history to bear the name Storis. The original Storis, known as the “Galloping Ghost of the Alaskan Coast”, had a history of conducting 64 years of icebreaking operations in Alaska and the Arctic before being decommissioned in 2007.

Storis will be commissioned this August in Juneau, Alaska, which will eventually be the vessel’s permanent homeport.

Until the necessary shore infrastructure improvements are completed in Juneau, Storis will be temporarily berthed in Seattle, Washington, with the service’s two other polar icebreakers.

According to the authorities, the departure marks an early milestone in the service’s transformation through Force Design 2028 (FD2028), which includes reforming US Coast Guard acquisitions to rapidly deploy capabilities to execute the future missions.

The US Coast Guard operates the United States’ fleet of icebreakers to ensure access to the polar regions. The service requires a fleet of eight to nine polar icebreakers.

In support of the country’s intent to acquire at least 40 new icebreakers, the US Coast Guard is working to replace, modernize, and grow its aging fleet of icebreakers, which currently includes three polar icebreakers, 21 domestic icebreakers, and 16 ice-capable buoy tenders.

As the United States’ third polar icebreaker, Storis will provide near-term operational presence and support national security as a bridging strategy until the full complement of PSCs is delivered.