Three shipyards form alliance to compete for US Coast Guard icebreaker contract

April 3, 2026, by Fatima Bahtić

Fincantieri Marine Group and two Great Lakes shipbuilders, Fraser Shipyards and Donjon Marine, have established a collaborative framework to compete for a contract to build a new Homeland Security Cutter – Light icebreaker for the US Coast Guard.

Fincantieri revealed that it is ready to lead such an effort and work together with its fellow Great Lakes shipbuilders and all those ready to join this emerging ecosystem.

Fincantieri CEO George Moutafis explained that the initial goal of the alliance is to provide the Coast Guard with a ready-to-build solution for seven new light icebreakers. He added that the partnership welcomes additional companies to join, particularly those with maritime technology and manufacturing expertise, to increase work along the Fourth Coast collectively.

Patrick Kelly, CEO of Fraser Shipyards, noted that the Great Lakes shipyard alliance is intended to facilitate rapid mobilization and cooperation among regional shipbuilders and maritime companies while adopting new shipbuilding technologies. He also highlighted that the Trump Administration’s proposed Maritime Prosperity Zones are designed to strengthen ties among industry partners and local communities, thereby boosting industrial capacity amid renewed investment in domestic shipbuilding.

“Donjon Shipbuilding is excited to stand alongside Fincantieri Marine Group and Fraser Shipyards in building a stronger future for American shipbuilding on the Fourth Coast. This alliance reflects the kind of collaboration required to expand domestic industrial capacity and deliver important national shipbuilding programs.” John Witte Jr., President and CEO of Donjon Marine Co. added.

Fincantieri operates three Great Lakes shipyards in Northeast Wisconsin that have successfully worked as a system of yards on multiple shipbuilding programs for nearly two decades.

The US Coast Guard is modernizing and expanding its icebreaking fleet to ensure that America’s waterways remain accessible, safe, and secure in icy conditions. Icebreakers are essential for keeping key commercial and military sea lanes open during winter in the Great Lakes, Northeast, Mid‑Atlantic, and polar regions.

The coast guard plans to build up to seven light icebreakers to replace its aging light icebreaking tugs (WYTLs), which entered service in the 1960s and are well beyond their designed life.