USCG’s New Icebreaker Storis Completes First Arctic Patrol

 

The U.S. Coast Guard’s newest commissioned icebreaker, USCG Cutter Storis, returned to Seattle on October 3, completing its inaugural patrol. The medium polar icebreaker is still undergoing a number of upgrades in its first year with the USCG.

Storis entered the ice for the first time in September as a Coast Guard cutter to relieve USCG cutter Healy. She undertook a 112-day inaugural patrol, which saw her sail north of the Bering Strait. During her time, one of her tasks was to monitor the Chinese-flagged research vessels Jidi and Xue Long 2, which were operating in the Arctic this season. A total of five Chinese-affiliated research vessels were operating in the Arctic over the summer, and Storis was one of several vessels the USCG deployed to monitor activity.

USCG reports that throughout the cutter’s inaugural deployment, the crew conducted helicopter operations, gunnery exercises, established numerous operational and administrative programs, and organized multiple community outreach events throughout six port calls, providing tours to over 1,500 people. Storis is manned by a hybrid crew of military cuttermen and civilian mariners.

“In the span of a few months, this?crew has gained proficiency in the basics of operating the ship, and we were ready to challenge ourselves,” said Capt. Corey Kerns, commanding officer of the new icebreaker. “Storis is different from most Coast Guard cutters, and this crew is proud and excited to demonstrate its value to the service and the nation.”

The vessel is unique in that she is the first polar icebreaker acquired by the Coast Guard in over 25 years. She joins the USCG Polar Star and Healy as the polar fleet until the new polar security cutters can be built.

 

 

Storis was built in 2012 by Edison Chouest as Aiviq as an icebreaking anchor-handler for Shell's Arctic offshore drilling program. She saw limited operations, and the idea of acquiring her for the USCG dates back to 2016. The deal was finally progressed in 2024, and she was officially acquired on December 20, 2024. An initial modification was undertaken to enhance her communications and defense capabilities before she departed from Pascagoula, Mississippi, on June 1. She transited the Panama Canal and proceeded to Juneau, Alaska, where she was officially commissioned on August 10.

Now that the vessel has returned to Seattle after its patrol, Storis will enter a six-week training period where the ship and the crew will undergo major training evolutions, system and program recapitalization. A two-week underway phase is also planned with a visit to Victoria, Canada.

Captain Kerns said they were pleased to have arrived in Seattle and to be at a USCG base. He, however, also confirmed “we still have a lot of training to do for our USCG crew to be ready to take full responsibility of the ship and will continue to work closely with our civilian shipmates to get us ready.” 

Storis is temporarily berthed in Seattle, alongside the service's other polar icebreakers. She will continue to receive modifications and eventually will be permanently homeported in Juneau, Alaska, once necessary infrastructure improvements are completed.