The United States is facing a mounting national security risk to its north. The Arctic is fast becoming a new stage for geopolitical competition and America is underprepared. While Russia commands a fleet of over 40 polar icebreakers and China operates four with a fifth on the way, the United States can muster only three. Only one of those, the Polar Star, is a true heavy icebreaker, but it’s an aging ship that is largely held together by resourcefulness and cannibalized spare parts.
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