The Navy Is Looking for a Few Good Icebreakers, and Will Get Them
In 2015, the U.S. Pentagon faced a dilemma. Global warming was melting the Arctic ice, opening up new sea routes and access to oil fields near the North Pole. Russia was making a beeline for these oil fields (oil costs $88 a barrel today, up 57% from last year), and deploying a fleet of more than 40 icebreakers to break channels through the thinning ice.
If America wanted to contest Russia's claims (or even just keep an eye on what the Russians were up to up north), it would need access to the Arctic itself. But the U.S. had only two icebreakers in its entire fleet.
The Coast Guard icebreaker Healy. Image source: U.S. Coast Guard.
Source Fool.com
