News Desk
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has announced a plan to purchase 11 new icebreaker ships under a project estimated to cost nearly $7 billion, but the decision has sparked questions over whether the number of vessels is necessary and how the program will be funded in the long term.
The announcement was made jointly with Finnish President Alexander Stubb. Under the plan, the first four icebreakers will be built in Finland, while the remaining ships will be constructed in the United States.
Trump has also granted an exemption from legal requirements that national security vessels must be built domestically, allowing part of the construction work to take place overseas.
US media reports said the decision to acquire 11 ships was made directly by President Trump, while contracts were awarded without the usual competitive bidding process. The move has raised concerns among critics over transparency, costs and oversight.
Experts have warned that the expense would not end with the purchase of the vessels. They said billions of additional dollars would likely be needed for maintenance, port infrastructure and recruitment of specialized crews. However, a clear long-term financial plan for operating the expanded fleet has not yet been presented.
The White House defended the project, saying a stronger US presence in the Arctic was necessary due to increasing global competition in the region. Trump has argued that the United States has too few icebreakers compared with Russia and needs to strengthen its Arctic capabilities.
