The United States must build a fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers to counter Russia and China’s advantage in the Arctic.
The United States faces a developing crisis in the Arctic, where our adversaries have the advantage because, unlike the United States, they have existing and planned nuclear-powered icebreakers, allowing them easy access to shipping routes and areas for critical mineral extraction that the United States cannot as easily access without nuclear-powered icebreakers. American dominance in the Arctic regions will continue to be of vital importance to our nation and our allies, and the United States should take the lead in deploying nuclear-powered icebreaker ships.
The Strategic Gap between the United States and Our Adversaries
The Arctic is a region rapidly growing in geopolitical and economic significance due to the receding ice, where new maritime routes are opening, significantly shortening global shipping lanes.
It will also offer unprecedented access to vast untapped natural resources, including oil, gas, and rare earth minerals, where such mining is legal and can be done in an environmentally responsible manner.
Currently, Russia holds a commanding lead with seven nuclear-powered icebreakers in operation and several more under construction, including the massive Project 22220 and Lider-class vessels, which are designed to keep Arctic shipping lanes open year-round. China also has a major program to deploy nuclear-powered icebreaker ships, even though China does not border the Arctic.
In stark contrast, the United States has zero nuclear-powered icebreakers, with only two conventionally powered heavy icebreakers in service, one of which, the aging Polar Star, was commissioned in the 1970s. By investing in its own nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet, the United States can begin to close this strategic gap, assert its sovereign interests, and prevent potential adversaries from monopolizing critical passages and Arctic resources.
While the United States is working to add new conventionally powered icebreaker ships, including contemplating the purchase of such ships from Finland, these ships will be inferior to Russia’s nuclear-powered ships. The strategic advantages of nuclear propulsion are well established by the US Navy’s nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers and their ability to project ever-present American dominance across the globe. These strategic advantages should also be extended to our nation’s icebreaker fleet in the Arctic.
The Role of the US Government
We believe that a US government program backed by congressional authorizations and appropriations could develop a US nuclear-powered icebreaker in perhaps as little as three years’ time. Since the United States is already working with Finland to develop conventional icebreaker ships, this relationship could be leveraged to allow the United States and Finland to develop a nuclear-powered icebreaker ship platform in a timely manner, into which the nuclear propulsion system could be inserted.
Icebreaker Fleet Propulsion
As CEO of Lightbridge Corporation, a leading developer of advanced nuclear fuels, and also serving as chair of the International Council of the American Nuclear Society, we know that naval nuclear propulsion offers unparalleled endurance and power, allowing icebreakers to operate year-round without the need for constant refueling—an essential capability in the remote and severe Arctic environment.
Since reactors designed for submarines and aircraft carriers would not work, due to weight and other restrictions, for an icebreaker ship, the propulsion system could be based on a compact reactor with innovative fuel that can power the ship without needing to refuel for long durations. Contractors that produce nuclear propulsion systems for the US Navy could produce a compact pressurized water reactor within an acceptable timeframe.
It’s Time to Close the Arctic Gap
Russia and China are leading the United States with regard to nuclear icebreakers in the Arctic. This puts the United States at a disadvantage in securing access to Arctic shipping routes and to the region’s critical mineral resources. To secure our nation’s strategic advantages in the Arctic, the United States should embark on an expedited nuclear-powered icebreaker deployment initiative. Our nation should deploy a nuclear icebreaker fleet, the most powerful icebreaker ships in the world.
About the Author: Seth Grae
Seth Grae is CEO of Lightbridge Corporation, a developer of advanced nuclear fuels, and chairman of the International Council of the American Nuclear Society.
Image: Katrin York/Shutterstock
