The USA can be left without heavy icebreakers in six years, the deputy commander the Coastguard of the country the admiral Charles Michel said on Wednesday.
"The only heavy Polar Star icebreaker which is in a system ("Polar is old") will serve only till 2023, - he noted, speaking at the conference in the suburb of Washington the Pentagon city organized by the military edition "Defense News". - And in the same 2023, we have to have the new heavy icebreaker at the order".
"But money for construction of the ship needs to be received in 2018", - the admiral emphasized. The coast guard requested from the Congress for 2018 financial year which will begin in the USA on October 1 the current year, on the development of the project documentation of 19 million dollars.
According to Michel that the Coastguard could carry out tasks which are set for it in the following years, it is necessary to have in a system three heavy and as many average icebreakers. It is supposed that costs of construction of each of them will make about 1 billion dollars.
"We didn't build in the USA heavy icebreakers from the moment of descent to water in the mid-seventies of the Polar Star and Polar Sea ships, - the Admiral noticed. - All main technology practices on the construction of icebreakers were carried out during the last more than 40 years abroad, in such countries as Finland, Sweden, and Russia. We intend to make use of their experience and knowledge".
Russia has about 40 icebreakers, including six atomic.
Source: TASS
