The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Storis floats near the Johns Hopkins Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska, Aug. 5, 2025. (Ashly Murphy/U.S. Coast Guard)
SEATTLE — The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Storis, the first icebreaker to join the fleet in more than two decades, returned to its homeport on Monday from a 36-day deployment to the Arctic.
The ship and crew logged 4,800 miles on the trip to the Bering Sea, which stretches between Alaska and the northeastern coast of Russia.
During the deployment from Coast Guard Base Seattle, the Storis crew assessed the vessel’s icebreaking capabilities and carried out experimental operational exercises, the service said.
The Storis is 360 feet long, with a displacement of 15,000 tons. Equipped with four diesel engines generating 22,500 horsepower, Storis is rated as a medium icebreaker capable of navigating through 3 feet of ice at 5 knots.
Originally built as the commercial M/V Aiviq in 2012 to support oil exploration in the Chukchi Sea, the icebreaker was purchased in December 2024 for $125 million by the Coast Guard from Offshore Surface Vessels, LLC. After modifications, it was commissioned into the Coast Guard in August 2025.
The Coast Guard currently operates two other icebreakers — the USCGC Healy, a medium icebreaker commissioned in 2000 and the USCGC Polar Star, a heavy icebreaker, commissioned in 1976.
“Storis joins CGC Healy and CGC Polar Star, augmenting the Coast Guard’s current capabilities in the Arctic, ensuring a continued U.S. presence in this vital region and underscoring our commitment to Arctic security and stewardship,” the Coast Guard said.
Missions for the Storis include patrolling polar regions, logistics, search and rescue, ship escort, environmental protection and enforcement of laws and treaties.
The Coast Guard is upgrading shore facilities at Juneau, Alaska, with plans to eventually homeport the Storis year-round in the arctic region.
The Coast Guard plans to add 11 new arctic security cutters, with the first ships delivered in 2028. The cutters are being built under a joint construction program with Finland. Contracts were awarded in December to Rauma Marine Constructions Oy of Rauma, Finland, and Bollinger Shipyards Lockport, LLC. of Lockport, La.
