List of icebreakers

This is a list of icebreakers and other special vessels capable of operating independently in ice-infested waters. Ships known to be in service are presented in bold.^[1]^[2]

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Argentina

ARA Almirante Irízar (Q-5) (1978–; undergoing repairs after fire in 2007)
ARA General San Martín (Q-4)
ARA Bahía Paraíso (B-1) (or Q-6) (sunk in 1989)

Australia

Aurora Australis (1990–)
A new icebreaking research vessel is expected to enter service in 2019.^[3]

Austria

Eisvogel (1955–)
Röthelstein (1995–)

Canada

Canadian Coast Guard

CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent in Halifax Harbour

CCGS Northern Light (1876–1890; sold)
CCGS Mikula (1916; sold to Russia)^[4]
CCGS Saurel (1929–1967; broken up)^[4]
CCGS N.B. McLean (1930–1979; broken up)
CCGS Ernest Lapointe (1939–1978; museum ship)
CCGS D'Iberville (1952–1983; broken up)
CCGS Labrador (1954–1987; broken up)
CCGS Alexander Henry (1959–1984; museum ship)
CCGS John A. Macdonald (1960–1991; broken up)
CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent (1969–)
CCGS Amundsen (1979–)
CCGS Des Groseilliers (1982–)
CCGS Terry Fox (1983–)
CCGS Henry Larsen (1987–)
CCGS Pierre Radisson (1987–)
CCGS John G. Diefenbaker (2020s–; proposed)

Commercial

Canmar Kigoriak (1979–2003; sold to Russia)
Robert Lemeur (1982–1995; sold to China)^[5]
Arctic Kalvik (1983–2003; sold to Russia)
Miscaroo (1983–1998; Canmar Miscaroo since 1995; sold to Russia)
Polar Star (2000–; ex-Njord; laid up in Canary Islands due to receivership of Polar Star Expeditions in 2011)^[6]

China

Polar Research Institute of China

Xuě Lóng (雪龙, "Snow Dragon") (1993–)
A new Chinese-built polar icebreaker is currently at the design stage and is expected to enter service by 2016.^[7]^[8]

Commercial

Bo Hai (1995–; ex-Robert Lemeur)

Chile

Piloto Pardo
Achiles
Contraalmirante Oscar Viel Toro (1995–)

Denmark

Danbjørn, Isbjørn and Thorbjørn moored at Frederikshavn

HDMS Danbjørn (1965–)
Isbjørn (1966–)
Thorbjørn (1980–)
HDMS Gunnar Thorson (1981–)
HDMS Gunnar Seidenfaden (1981–)

Estonia

Estonian Maritime Museum

Suur Tõll (1922–1940; museum ship in Tallinn since 1987)

Estonian Maritime Administration

Tarmo (1993–; purchased from Finland)
EVA 316 (1995–; ex-Lonna; purchased from Finland)

Port of Tallinn

Botnica (2012–; purchased from Finland)

Finland

State-owned icebreakers

The conventional icebreakers are currently owned by state-owned shipping company Arctia Shipping Oy and the multipurpose icebreakers by Arctia Offshore Oy.

Steam-powered

Steam-powered icebreakers Tarmo and Jääkarhu

Murtaja (1890–1958; broken up)
Sampo (1898–1960; broken up)
Apu (1899–1959; broken up)
Tarmo (1907–1970; museum ship in Kotka since 1992)
Wäinämöinen (1918–1922; handed over to Estonia)
Ilmarinen (1918–1922; handed over to the Soviet Union)
Voima (1924–1945; handed over to the Soviet Union)
Jääkarhu (1926–1945; handed over to the Soviet Union)
Suursaari (1927–1945; handed over to the Soviet Union)

Diesel-electric

Six modern Finnish icebreakers docked for the summer season at Katajanokka, Helsinki

Sisu (1939–1975; as Louhi in the Finnish Navy until 1986; broken up)
Voima (1954–)
Karhu (1958–1988; sold to the Soviet Union)
Murtaja (1959–1986; broken up)
Sampo (1960–1987; today owned by the city of Kemi and used for tourist cruises)
Tarmo (1963–1993; sold to Estonia)
Hanse (1966–1998; sold to Greece; wrecked off Tunisia)
Varma (1968–1994; sold to Latvia)
Apu (1970–2006; sold to Russia)
Urho (1975–)
Sisu (1976–)
Otso (1986–)
Kontio (1987–)
Fennica (1993–)
Nordica (1994–)
Botnica (1998–2012; sold to Estonia)
NB 510 (2016–; under construction)

Finnish Navy

Louhi (1975–1986; ex-Sisu; broken up)
Louhi (2011–)

Alfons Håkans

Zeus

India

A new polar research vessel is expected to enter service by 2017.^[9]

Japan

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force

Shirase (1981–2008; sold to Weathernews)
Shirase (2008–)
Fuji

Japan Coast Guard

Sōya (宗谷, PL107) (1938–1978)
Sōya (そうや, PHL01) (1978–)
Teshio

Kazakhstan

The following icebreaking supply ships are in service in the Caspian oil fields:

Arcticaborg (1998–)
Antarcticaborg (1998–)
Tulpar (2002–)
Five Mangystau-class icebreakers (Mangystau 1...Mangystau 5)

Norway

NoCGV Svalbard (2001–)
Kronprins Haakon (2016–; planned)^[10]

Russia

The following lists include icebreakers owned and/or operated by both government-owned as well as commercial entities.

Nuclear-powered icebreakers

Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker Yamal

Lenin (1959–1989; museum ship in Murmansk)
Arktika (1975–2008; decommissioned and awaiting disposal)
Sibir (1977–1992; decommissioned and awaiting disposal)
Rossiya (1985–)
Taymyr (1989–)
Vaygach (1990–)
Sovetskiy Soyuz (1990–)
Yamal (1992–)
50 Let Pobedy (2007–)
Arktika (2019– (planned); under construction)^[11]^[12]^[13]

Diesel-powered icebreakers

Kapitan Khlebnikov en route to Wrangel Island

Kapitan Belousov (1954–1991; sold to Ukraine)^[14]
Kapitan Voronin (1955–1996; broken up)^[15]
Kapitan Melekhov (1956–1994; broken up)^[16]
Moskva (1959–1998; broken up)^[17]
Leningrad (1960–1993; broken up)^[18]
Dobrynya Nikitich (1960–1998; decommissioned)^[19]
Vasili Pronchishchev (1961-1989; broken up)
Purga (1961–2012; decommissioned)^[19]
Vyuga (1962–1991; ex-Ledokol-5 (1962–1963); decommissioned)^[19]
Afanasiy Nikitin (1962–??; ex-Ledokol-2; broken up?)^[20]
Khariton Laptev (1962–??; ex-Ledokol-3; broken up?)
Ivan Kruzenshtern (1964–; ex-Ledokol-6)^[21]
Vladimir Rusanov (1964–??; ex-Ledokol-7; broken up?)
Yuriy Lisyanskiy (1965–; ex-Ledokol-9)^[22]
Kiev (1965–1993; broken up)^[23]
Semen Chelyuskin (1965–1988; ex-Ledokol-8 (1965–1966); sold to Vietnam)^[19]
Ilya Muromets (1965–1993; decommissioned)^[19]
Buran (1966–)
Murmansk (1968–1995; broken up)^[24]
Vladivostok (1969–1997; broken up)^[25]
Fyodor Litke (1970–; laid up)^[26]
Semyon Dezhnev (1971–)^[27]
Yermak (1974–)
Admiral Makarov (1975–)
Krasin (1976–)
Kapitan M. Izmaylov (1976–)
Kapitan Kosolapov (1976–)
Kapitan A. Radzhabov (1976–)
Kapitan Sorokin (1977–; fitted with Thyssen-Waas bow in 1991)
Kapitan Chechkin (1977–)
Kapitan Plakhin (1977–)
Kapitan Nikolaev (1978–; rebuilt in 1990)
Kapitan Chadaev (1978–)
Kapitan Krutov (1978–)
Kapitan Bukaev (1978–)
Kapitan Zarubin (1978–)
Kapitan Dranitsyn (1980–)
Kapitan Khlebnikov (1981–)
Magadan (1982–)
Mudyug (1982–)
Dikson (1983–)
Kapitan Evdokimov (1983–)
Kapitan Babichev (1983–)
Kapitan Chudinov (1983–)
Kapitan Borodkin (1983–)
Avraamiy Zavenyagin (1984–)
Kapitan Mecaik (1984–)
Kapitan Deminov (1984–)
Kapitan Moshkin (1986–)
Karu (1988–; ex-Karhu, ex-Kapitan Chubakov; purchased from Finland)
Tor (2000–; purchased from Sweden)^[28]
Dudinka (2006–; ex-Apu; purchased from Finland)
Moskva (2008–)
Sankt-Petersburg (2009–)
Baltika (2014–)
Vladivostok (2015– (planned); under construction)^[29]
Murmansk (2015– (planned); under construction)^[29]
Novorossiysk (2015– (planned); under construction)^[29]
Beringov Proliv (2015– (planned); under construction)^[30]
Murman (2015– (planned); under construction)^[30]
Viktor Chernomyrdin (2018– (current estimate); under construction)

Steam-powered icebreakers

Steam-powered icebreaker Yermak

Pilot (1864–1890; broken up?)
Yermak (1899–1963; broken up)
A. Sibiryakov (1909–1942; sunk by Germans)
Vaygach (1909–1918; sank in 1918)
Taymyr (1909–1950s?; broken up)
Malygin (1912–1940; sunk in 1940)
Volynets (1914–1918, 1940–1985; ex-Tsar' Mikhail Fyodorovich, ex-Wäinämöinen, ex-Suur Tõll; sold to Estonia in 1987)
Fyodor Litke (1914–1958; ex-CGC Earl Grey; broken up)
Sedov (1915–1967; ex-Beothic (1909–1915); broken up)
Sadko (1915–1941; ex-Lintrose (1912–1915); sank in 1941)
Ledokol V (1916–1941; sank in 1941)^[31]
Ledokol VI (1916–1961; broken up)^[32]
Ledokol VIII (1917–1961; broken up)^[33]
Krasin (1917–1971; extensively rebuilt in 1953–1960, now a museum ship in St. Petersburg)
Lenin (1917–1968; broken up)
Sibir (1938–1973; ex-I. Stalin (–1961); broken up)
Admiral Lazarev (1938–1967; ex-L. Kaganovich (–1951); broken up)
Admiral Makarov (1941–1967; ex-V. Molotov (–1956); broken up)
A. Mikoyan (1941–??; broken up)
Malygin (1945–1970; ex-Voima; broken up)
Sibiryakov (1945–1972; ex-Jääkarhu; broken up)

Other icebreaking vessels

The following ships are not purpose-built icebreakers, but for example anchor handling tug supply vessels, platform supply vessels, research vessels or other multipurpose vessels with significant icebreaking capability.

Akademik Fyodorov (1987–)
Smit Sakhalin (1998–; ex-Miscaroo; ex-Canmar Miscaroo)
Kigoriak (2003–; ex-Canmar Kigoriak, ex-Kigoria, ex-Talagy)
Vladimir Ignatyuk (2003–; ex-Arctic Kalvik)
SCF Sakhalin (2005–)
Pacific Enterprise (2006–)
Pacific Endeavour (2006–)
Pacific Endurance (2006–)
Polar Pevek (2006–)
Yuri Topchev (2006–)
Vladislav Strizhov (2006–)
Toboy (2008–)
Varandey (2008–)
Ikaluk (2012–; ex-Ikaluk; ex-Canmar Ikaluk; ex-Smit Sibu)
Akademik Tryoshnikov (2012–)
Vitus Bering (2012–)
Aleksey Chirikov (2013–)

South Africa

S. A. Agulhas (1977–)
S. A. Agulhas II (2012–)

South Korea

Araon (2009–)

Soviet Union

See Russia

Spain

Hesperides (1991–)

Sweden

Swedish Maritime Administration

Swedish icebreaker Ymer

Sankt Erik (1915–1977; ex-Isbrytaren II (–1959); museum ship since 1977)
Atle (1926–1967; ex-Statsisbrytaren (–1931); broken up)^[34]
Ymer (1933–1977; broken up)^[35]
Thule (1953–1998; broken up)^[36]
Oden (1957–1988; broken up)^[37]
Tor (1964–2000; sold to Russia)^[28]
Njord (1969–2000; sold and renamed Polar Star)^[38]
Ale (1973–)
Atle (1974–)
Frej (1975–)
Ymer (1977–)
Oden (1988–)

Trans Viking Icebreaking & Offshore

Tor Viking II (2000–)
Balder Viking (2000–)
Vidar Viking (2001–)

Ukraine

Kapitan Belousov (1991–)^[14]

United Kingdom

HMS Endurance in Portsmouth

HMS Endurance (1990–; laid up since 2008)
RRS James Clark Ross (1991–)
RRS Ernest Shackleton (1995–)
HMS Protector (2011–)
An icebreaking polar research vessel is expected to enter service in 2019.^[39]

United States

United States Coast Guard

USCGC Polar Star (WAGB-10)

USCGC Mackinaw (WAGB-83) (1944–2006; museum ship)
USCGC Staten Island (WAGB-278) (1944–1974; broken up)
USCGC Eastwind (WAGB-279) (1944–1968; broken up in 1976–1977)
USCGC Southwind (WAGB-280) (1944–1974; broken up in 1976)
USCGC Westwind (WAGB-281) (1944–1988; likely broken up)
USCGC Northwind (WAGB-282) (1945–1989; broken up in 1999)
USCGC Burton Island (WAGB-283) (1946–1978; broken up in 1982)
USCGC Edisto (WAGB-284) (1947–1974; broken up in 1980)
USCGC Glacier (WAGB-4) (1955–1987; broken up in 2012)
USCGC Polar Star (WAGB-10) (1977–2006, 2013–; in service)
USCGC Polar Sea (WAGB-11) (1978–2010; out of service and awaiting disposal as of 2014)
USCGC Healy (WAGB-20) (2000–; in service)
USCGC Mackinaw (WLBB-30) (2006–; in service)

National Science Foundation

Laurence M. Gould (1997–)^[40]
Nathaniel B. Palmer (1992–)^[41]
Sikuliaq (2014–)

Edison Chouest Offshore

Aiviq (2012–)
Two Polar Class 3 vessels under construction

New York Power Authority

William H. Latham (1987–)

References

↑ Ilmari Aro (17 November 2008). "THE WORLD ICEBREAKER AND ICEBREAKING SUPPLY VESSEL FLEET". Baltic Icebreaking Management. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
↑ Major icebreakers of the world. USCG Office of Waterways and Ocean Policy. Retrieved on 2012-11-25.
↑ Two vie for icebreaker contract. The Advocate, 22 May 2014. Retrieved on 2014-05-22.
↑ 4.0 4.1 Ships of the CCG 1850-1967. Canadian Coast Guard. Retrieved on 2012-11-28.
↑ Juurmaa, K. and Wilkman, G. (2002): Supply operations in ice conditions. Published at Okhotsk Sea & Sea Ice, Mombetsu, Japan. Retrieved on 2014-01-18.
↑ Potential buyer: Once-valued ship now good only for scrap. Business Herald, 22 November 2011. Retrieved on 2014-01-18.
↑ China to build new icebreaker for polar research expeditions. NDTV, 5 January 2014. Retrieved on 2014-03-24.
↑ New icebreaker planned by 2016: officials. Chinadaily.com.cn, 6 January 2014. Retrieved on 2014-03-24.
↑ India To Acquire Polar Research Vessel. Marine Insight, 31 October 2014. Retrieved on 2014-11-03.
↑ Norway to build modern icebreaker for oil, gas exploration in Arctic by 2016. Voice of Russia, 20 January 2014. Retrieved on 2014-06-08.
↑ Russia awards icebreaker contracts. World Nuclear News, 9 May 2014. Retrieved on 2014-05-12.
↑ Russia to build icebreakers to secure its Arctic power position. The Voice of Russia, 9 November 2013. Retrieved on 2014-05-12.
↑ US$200m boost for Russian shipbuilding. The MediTelegraph, 17 January 2015. Retrieved on 2015-01-18.
↑ 14.0 14.1 "Kapitan Belousov (5181598)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 2012-11-06. (subscription required (help)).
↑ "Kapitan Voronin (5181689)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 2012-11-06. (subscription required (help)).
↑ "Kapitan Meheklov (5181639)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 2012-11-06. (subscription required (help)).
↑ "Moskva (5242495)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 2012-11-06. (subscription required (help)).
↑ "Leningrad (5206104)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 2012-11-06. (subscription required (help)).
↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 Project 97. Russian-ships.info. Retrieved on 2013-10-26.
↑ [maritime-connector.com/ship/afanasiy-nikitin-6500791/ 6500791 AFANASIY NIKITIN]. Maritime Connector. Retrieved on 2013-10-26.
↑ "Ivan Kruzenshtern (6501496)". Equasis. French Ministry for Transport. Retrieved 2012-11-25. (registration required (help)).
↑ "Yuriy Lisyanskiy (6521850)". Equasis. French Ministry for Transport. Retrieved 2012-11-25. (registration required (help)).
↑ "Kiev (6424040)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 2012-11-06. (subscription required (help)).
↑ "Murmansk (6723678)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 2012-11-06. (subscription required (help)).
↑ "Vladivostok (6822786)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 2012-11-06. (subscription required (help)).
↑ "Fyodor Litke (7020085)". Equasis. French Ministry for Transport. Retrieved 2012-11-25. (registration required (help)).
↑ "Semyon Dezhnev (7119446)". Equasis. French Ministry for Transport. Retrieved 2012-11-25. (registration required (help)).
↑ 28.0 28.1 "Tor (5418197)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 2012-11-06. (subscription required (help)).
↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 Vyborg Shipyard starts building hull of 21900M icebreaker "Novorossiysk" for Rosmorport (photo). PortNews, 8 May 2014. Retrieved on 2014-05-11.
↑ 30.0 30.1 Nordic Yards schedules launch of two MPSVs for Rosmorrechflot’s rescue service for September 2114 (photo). PortNews, 3 September 2014. Retrieved on 2014-09-23.
↑ D/S Ledokol V (Ледокол № 5) (+1941). Wrecksite.eu. Retrieved on 2013-10-24.
↑ "Ledokol VI (96)". Clydebuilt Ships Database. Retrieved 2013-10-24.
↑ "Ledokol VIII (97)". Clydebuilt Ships Database. Retrieved 2013-10-24.
↑ "Atle (5503000)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 2012-11-06. (subscription required (help)).
↑ "Ymer (5395802)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 2012-11-06. (subscription required (help)).
↑ "Thule (5360560)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 2012-11-06. (subscription required (help)).
↑ "Oden (5260916)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 2012-11-06. (subscription required (help)).
↑ "Njord (6905745)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 2012-11-06. (subscription required (help)).
↑ British polar scientists to get new £200m icebreaker ship. The Week, 25 April 2014. Retrieved on 2014-05-12.
↑ "R/V Laurence M. Gould". National Science Foundation. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
↑ "R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer". National Science Foundation. Retrieved 2007-08-16.