For Russia, the control of growing sea traffic in Arctic waters is a national-security priority, and its new military-grade icebreakers, together with its fleet of Su-34 fighter-bombers, are meant to keep watch over a planned new global shipping route.

Denmark

Now it’s Russia and China. Greenland is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. Since 2009, a self-government agreement allows it run all its own affairs except foreign policy and defense, which fall under Denmark’s remit.

Russia wants to establish its Arctic possessions as a major resource base by 2020. As climate change makes the Arctic areas more accessible, Russia, along with other countries, is looking to use the Arctic to increase its energy resource production.

All land, internal waters, territorial seas and EEZs in the Arctic are under the jurisdiction of one of the eight Arctic coastal states: Canada, Denmark (via Greenland), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States (via Alaska). International law regulates this area as with other portions of Earth.

As part of its global Belt and Road Initiative, China is investing in the Arctic — setting up research stations, investing in mining and energy, and working with Russia to create a new sea route through the Arctic Ocean. It’s also stoked concerns from the US.

By contrast, the U.S. Coast Guard has just two polar icebreakers: the Polar Star and the Healy. Until recently, those two ships divided their efforts at opposite poles — the Polar Star resupplying the McMurdo Station in Antarctica, and the Healy protecting U.S. interests in the Arctic.

Russian state firm Rosatomflot has called the vessel the world’s largest and most powerful icebreaker. It is more than 173 metres long, designed for a crew of 53, and can break ice almost three-metres thick.

Arktika

Russia

Canada’s Coast Guard currently has 18 icebreakers of varying sizes and capability, which is the second largest icebreaking fleet in the world. The largest is the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent, which will continue to operate through the next decade.

11 Fun Icebreaker Activities That Your Employees Will Love

• Two truths and one lie. A bunch of new hires starting today?
• Find 10 things in common. This is probably one of the best icebreakers for large groups.
• Whodunit.
• The scavenger hunt.
• Human rock-paper-scissors.
• The one-word icebreaker game.
• The Marshmallow Challenge.

Originally Answered: Are U.S. aircraft carriers ice breakers and could they operate in Arctic waters with ease? No, they are not certified for icebreaking. In a pinch they might try light duty breaking but heavy duty ice breaking would be out of the question.

Speaking at the Surface Navy Association’s annual symposium, Coast Guard commandant Adm. Karl Schultz said the service and the Navy discuss what kind of icebreaking capability the sea services require, but that a nuclear-powered icebreaker is not possible for the U.S. “We’ve moved off the nuclear-powered breaker.

As shown in Table 1, the Coast Guard estimates the total procurement costs of the three heavy polar icebreakers as $1,039 million (i.e., about $1.0 billion) for the first ship, $792 million for the second ship, and $788 million for the third ship, for a combined estimated cost of $2,619 million (i.e., about $2.6 …

These ships, known as ice-breakers, were equipped with strengthened hulls and powerful engines and were employed in the exploration of polar regions. Soon after these ships were introduced the term ‘ice-breaker’ began to be applied to social initiatives intended to get strangers acquainted with one another.

‘Break the ice’ began its life as a metaphor. It means to do some small thing that will dispel the awkwardness of a situation before the real business of that situation begins.

All too often, icebreakers backfire. The triviality of the games easily insults people’s intelligence and insinuates that these professional adults lack the social skills to meet each other on their own. Worse still, they may further alienate shy folks who don’t like the spotlight.