The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Storis (WAGB 21) has departed on its first operational deployment. The cutter is the agency’s first polar icebreaker acquired in more than 25 years.
The vessel will support Coast Guard missions in the Arctic and provide an interim capability while the service awaits delivery of the new Polar Security Cutter (PSC) class. The first PSC, originally scheduled for delivery in the mid 2020s, is now expected in 2030 at the earliest.
The ship was formerly the motor vessel Aiviq, purchased on Dec. 20, 2024, from a subsidiary of Edison Chouest Offshore. Following its acquisition, the vessel underwent modifications to improve communications systems and self-defense capabilities. The Coast Guard renamed the 360’8”x80’x34’ polar class 3-equivalent icebreaker Storis, making it the second vessel in Coast Guard history to carry that name.
Prior to the acquisition, Aiviq was an anchor handling supply tug with icebreaking capability. It was built at Edison Chouest's North American Shipbuilding, Larose, La., and LaShip, Houma, La., and delivered in March 2012 to support Shell’s oil drilling operations in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas off the coast of Alaska.
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