Russia and China are making attempts to assert dominance over the Arctic. It's crucial that we prevent their success.
The United States Coast Guard is undergoing a significant transformation as part of Force Design 2028 (FD28), an ambitious plan to modernise the service and enhance its capabilities, particularly in the strategically important Arctic region.
The phased implementation of FD28 includes organisational and policy adjustments, operational changes, and the acquisition of a robust fleet. The goal is to create a more agile, capable, and responsive force, capable of meeting current and emerging challenges in the Arctic and other maritime domains.
Key aspects of FD28 as of mid-2025 include:
- Phased Implementation: Initial phases focus on organisational and policy changes, with more substantial operational changes to follow. The Coast Guard is using agile, monthly sprints to drive implementation progress.
- Operational Authority Enhancements: Changes to the Surface Use of Force rules have been made to empower frontline personnel with greater authority and real-time decision-making ability, improving mission effectiveness and safety across U.S. territorial waters.
- Fleet Modernization and Procurement: The Coast Guard aims to acquire a fleet of 25 Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPCs), National Security Cutters, Fast Response Cutters, and Polar Security Cutters. However, there have been setbacks, such as the June 2024 stop work order on OPCs #3 and #4 due to contract performance issues. The overall goal and funding—nearly $25 billion—remain intact, with the focus on modernising the fleet in response to growing Arctic demands and other threats.
- Strategic Emphasis on Arctic: FD28 aligns with broader DHS and Coast Guard strategies that underscore the Arctic's growing strategic importance due to increased maritime traffic, emerging security challenges, and environmental changes. The expansion and modernization of the fleet, including Polar Security Cutters, reflect this priority.
- Leadership and Organisational Change: The Coast Guard is undergoing significant cultural and leadership changes, with new commanders emphasising readiness to meet future challenges.
- Congressional Support: Congress has approved funding and outlays in support of the Coast Guard's reorganisation and modernisation aligned with FD28, ensuring necessary resources to support ongoing efforts.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has taken steps to bolster American presence in the Arctic. The President's Big Beautiful Bill has allocated funds for the construction of light and medium icebreaking vessels, up to three new heavy Polar Security Cutters, and new medium Arctic Security Cutters. The goal is to build a cutting-edge icebreaker fleet, providing continued access to the Arctic region for American military and commercial vessels.
However, the United States currently depends on China's shipbuilding and critical minerals industries, a situation that the Trump administration is seeking to address. The Coast Guard Authorization Act, once signed by the President, will expand the Coast Guard's historic investment and create a Secretary of the Coast Guard reporting directly to the White House and Congress.
Russia, too, is expanding its presence in the Arctic, viewing the Northern Hemisphere as the world's next great frontier due to the opening of lucrative sea lanes and the presence of abundant mineral and energy resources. Russia has completed testing a powerful new warship, a combat icebreaker, equipped with a 76mm cannon and capable of carrying eight anti-ship cruise missiles.
In Alaska, Governor Mike Dunleavy is supporting these efforts, recognising the strategic importance of the Arctic to the United States. The Trump administration's moves, such as the transfer of a Greenland military installation under the US Northern Command, signify a shift in Arctic power dynamics.
As the US Coast Guard continues to implement Force Design 2028, it remains a cornerstone initiative to transform the service into a mission-ready force for current and emerging challenges, including the strategic Arctic environment.
- The United States Coast Guard, undergoing a transformation via Force Design 2028 (FD28), is aiming to modernize its fleet and enhance its capabilities, particularly in the strategically important Arctic region, which is also a focus of the Trump administration's political agenda.
- The FD28 plan includes the acquisition of a robust fleet, such as the Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPCs), National Security Cutters, Fast Response Cutters, and Polar Security Cutters, as part of the policy-and-legislation efforts to build a more agile and responsive force.
- In the field of finance, the President's Big Beautiful Bill has allocated funds for the construction of icebreakers to bolster American presence in the Arctic and provide continued access for military and commercial vessels.
- War-and-conflicts and politics intersect in the Arctic as Russia expands its presence, viewing it as the world's next great frontier, and has completed testing a combat icebreaker equipped with weapons systems. This development is particularly relevant in the context of general-news reports on the shifting power dynamics in the region.
