USCG.

This is coolbert:

USCG = United States Coast Guard.

From WIZARD thank to Harry at Sharkhunters an item of interest without a whole lot of further elaboration

"FIRE AND ICE? –  the U.S. Coast Guard has ice breakers in the Arctic regions and they are now planning to equip their ice breakers with cruise missiles. They are also looking for new ice breakers that can store and fire missiles. It appears that the Cold War is heating up again, and in the frigid Arctic."

AMERICAN ICE BREAKERS NORMALLY DURING A TIME OF PEACE THAT MISSION SOLELY WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THE COAST GUARD. VESSELS NORMALLY LIGHTLY ARMED [IF ANY ARMAMENTS] AND NOT CAPABLE OF SIGNIFICANT NAVAL COMBAT ACTION. AT LEAST UNTIL NOW?

Cruise missiles of whatever type not specified.

No new American ice breakers have been built in over twenty years now! The current icebreaker as on the drawing boards can be constructed for a cool $ 1 billion USD. No mention of weaponry.

None of this stuff is cheap. Far from it.

P.S. See prior blog entry also the subject was Russian armed icebreakers of the Arktika class!

coolbert.