In Pori, Sata Shipbuilding has started construction of the first Arctic Security Cutter icebreaker for the United States Coast Guard. The steel cutting ceremony took place on June 23, 2026. The first ship is due in 2028.
Under the U.S. Presidential Memorandum, “Construction of Arctic Security Cutters,” the program calls for five ASCs. Davie Defense will deliver the vessels. The first two will be built at Helsinki Shipyard and supported by Sata Shipbuilding.
At affiliate shipbuilder Gulf Copper in Texas, three more ASCs will be built. It broke ground on a modernization project on June 1. The source said building the first two vessels in Finland is intended to help meet the USCG’s accelerated delivery schedule and support construction work in Texas.
By the end of 2026, the combined Helsinki Shipyard and Sata Shipbuilding direct workforce will reach 1,000, the source said. Hundreds more jobs are expected across the supply chain.
“This is a historic milestone for Sata Shipbuilding and our Group. We are proud to begin work on the Arctic Security Cutter for the United States and to lay the foundation for a program of great significance to both Finland and America,” Niko Suomela, managing director of Sata Shipbuilding, said.
James Davies, co-founder of Inocea Group, said the program will strengthen Western maritime security and rebuild U.S. strategic capability with Finnish expertise. Finland and Texas operations are being combined to deliver critical capability to the United States by 2028, Alex Vicefield, another Inocea co-founder, said.