China continues to push ahead with the rapid expansion of its Arctic-capable fleet. For the first time it has dispatched three icebreaking vessels into the region this summer, gCaptain reports.
The U.S., meanwhile, will remain without surface presence in the Arctic for the remainder of the year, possibly longer. Following last month’s fire aboard Coast Guard icebreaker Healy the vessel had to abort its Arctic patrol returning back to its homeport Seattle on a single engine. The only other USCG icebreaker, Polar Star, remains currently dry docked in an attempt to squeeze a few more years of service life out of the 55-year old vessel.
