Storis set to homeport in Juneau in 2029, along with maybe a few more new icebreakers in Alaska, Sullivan says
- Mark Sabbatini
- 8 hours ago
- 3 min read
Senator says up to four additional Arctic Security Cutters might be deployed to state; decision by U.S. Coast Guard expected later this year
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
The Storis is now scheduled to be fully upgraded for homeporting in Juneau by 2029 — and other new U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers may be arriving in the state then as well, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said Thursday.
Up to four of 11 Arctic Security Cutters being obtained through an agreement with Finland may be deployed to Alaska, although none of those deployments are ensured, Sullivan said during a Zoom call with reporters. He said Coast Guard Commandant Kevin Lunday stated that is among the deployment options being considered for the ships during a Senate subcommittee chaired by Sullivan earlier during the day.
The hearing focused on a range of future Coast Guard plans, including an update on plans for the Storis — a former private oil service vessel purchased by the government in 2024 and sent to Juneau for its first official duties last summer. The ship is homeporting in Seattle during winters while a range of upgrades are being made to the ship and shore infrastructure is being built in Juneau.
"The commandant talked about 2029 as the final kind of, you know, everything being built," Sullivan said.
The senator said he is trying to push that timeline to 2028, but the Coast Guard is involved in a significant ramp-up of assets and operations due to funding passed last year in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act (commonly referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill). Also, Lunday was sworn in as the new head of the Coast Guard only two weeks ago.
"I'm always about pressing these guys," Sullivan said. "But to be honest, if you're the commandant and you're brand new — he just got confirmed in December — and you're having your first oversight hearing as the new commandant you're probably going to err on the side of being conservative on timelines."
A total of $300 million for shoreside infrastructure related to the Storis has been approved for Juneau, but some projects and priorities are encountering potential delays. Among the housing options city leaders are pursuing, for instance, is redeveloping Telephone Hill with four midrise apartments, which is being slowed by legal challenges involving the eviction of residents there and the project itself.
Sullivan said a decision on the Arctic Security Cutters is expected this year, with the plan of an accelerated construction allowing them also to be deployed in Alaska by 2029. The potential ports for those ships were not specified.
The icebreakers are part of a record $25 billion Coast Guard allocation in last year’s budget bill. A press release issued by Sullivan’s office Thursday states that includes funding for "16 new icebreakers, 22 new cutters, more than 40 new helicopters, and $4.379 billion to repair docks, hangars, and shore facilities."
U.S. lawmakers and military officials have talked for many years about the country’s lack of assets in the Arctic compared to other countries — most notably Russia — but the Coast Guard has struggled to obtain new ships. Plans announced in 2018 for new heavy-duty Polar Security Cutters called for the first to be deployed by 2024. Instead, the Coast Guard says that now likely won’t happen until around 2030.
The Storis was obtained as a stopgap vessel for the interim at the urging of congressional members, including Sullivan, despite Coast Guard leaders in the years before the purchase stating they considered the vessel’s capabilities too limited. The ship, originally known as the Aiviq, also had a troubled history in Alaska and elsewhere as a private ship.
However, the Trump administration’s increase in funding means the Coast Guard is now envisioning a larger fleet of ships with a range of capabilities deployed in Alaska and elsewhere. Sullivan said Thursday among the future ships and facilities planned just for Southeast include cutters in Sitka and Ketchikan, as well as expanding the ship-building facilities in the communities and building one in Wrangell.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
