Davie Shipbuilding wins contract for six Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers

Davie Shipbuilding has secured a major contract from the Government of Canada to build six new Program Icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard. The contract, valued between US $8 billion and $11.3 billion, is a fixed-price agreement that shifts greater responsibility for cost management and execution to the shipyard.

The new Polar Class 3 vessels will measure between 110 and 120 meters and are designed to support maritime security, scientific operations, and the maintenance of shipping routes. These ships will replace aging heavy and medium icebreakers used in Atlantic Canada, the St. Lawrence waterways, the Great Lakes, and the Arctic.

Construction of the first vessel is scheduled to begin in 2027, with deliveries expected to continue throughout the 2030s. The program is part of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy, aimed at renewing the Arctic fleet and strengthening domestic shipbuilding capacity and industrial resilience.