The US Coast Guard’s new icebreaker Storis (WAGB 21) has completed a 112-day first Arctic patrol, marking a major milestone in expanding the service’s Arctic capabilities. On Friday, October 3, the vessel arrived in Seattle after departing Pascagoula, Mississippi, and transiting the Panama Canal and the Pacific Ocean.
Storis carried out its first Arctic mission north of the Bering Strait, ensuring the security of the US northern border and maritime approaches. The patrol was conducted under the “Operation Border Guardian” program to counter foreign influence in Arctic waters. This mission was particularly significant given the presence of five Chinese research vessels operating in the region this summer.
In early September, Storis entered the ice for the first time, relieving the icebreaker Healy (WAGB 20) to monitor Chinese-flagged research vessels Jidi and Xue Long 2. The US Coast Guard provides the nation’s only persistent surface presence in the Arctic, working in coordination with US Northern Command and Alaska Command to observe foreign vessels operating in or near US waters.
Commissioned in Juneau, Alaska, on August 10, Storis became the first polar icebreaker acquired by the Coast Guard in more than 25 years, and the third currently in service. During its deployment, the crew carried out helicopter operations, gunnery exercises, developed new operational programs, and organized community outreach events during six port calls, welcoming more than 1,500 visitors onboard.
The crew will now undergo a six-week training program including system upgrades and a two-week exercise phase with planned activities near Victoria, Canada. Until infrastructure upgrades in Juneau are completed, the icebreaker will be temporarily homeported in Seattle alongside the service’s other polar icebreakers.
