The #US wants to spend $13 billion to build Arctic #icebreakers, in order to compete with #Russia and #China. Except, the US seems to have "lost" the technology to do so.

"U.S. officials are racing to procure new polar icebreakers because one of only two that the Coast Guard now sails has reached the end of its life, and the one assigned to the Arctic is out of service for maintenance every winter."

"Delivery of the first new icebreaker has slipped to 2028 from 2024 as designers, engineers and welders grapple with something the U.S. hasn’t done in decades: reliably shape hardened steel that is more than an inch thick into a curved, reinforced ship’s hull."

"The Coast Guard hasn’t launched a new heavy icebreaker since 1976. Out of practice, U.S. shipbuilders have had to relearn how to design and build the specialized vessel, say officials in the industry and the government."

"By comparison, Russia has three dozen national icebreakers suitable for the Arctic, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, and China has four, including two icebreaking research ships that regularly appear at high latitudes."

"The machinery and skills to build the hulls of most oceangoing vessels aren’t sufficient for the specialized icebreakers. The hull plates need a bespoke alloy and specialized heat-treatment, with a process to form and weld massive curved plates."

“Higher-strength steels require very skilled people,” said Jeff Moskaluk, senior vice president at SSAB Americas.... “It’s not like you just treat it the same as any other piece of steel. It takes a beating—that’s exactly what the steel is designed for.”

"In addition to the technical challenge, American yards are reckoning with a shortage of shipwrights. Employment in ship and boat building totaled just 154,800 in July after peaking at 1.3 million during World War II, according to data from the Federal Reserve."

'“One of the challenges is the workforce—getting qualified welders,” said Bob Merchent, retired former chief executive of VT Halter Marine, since acquired by Bollinger Shipyards. '

So many people seem to think that because we are the US, we have the best technology in the world, and the most skilled workers.

That used to be true. It hasn't for a long time now, though, and the situation is getting worse, jeopardizing national security in multiple ways.

We don't have the designers or experienced engineers. We don't have the shipwrights or welders. We are having trouble with basic execution, because investment bankers don't understand #technology, and think blue collar workers are interchangeable.

It isn't just our inability to build super-sophisticated #hypersonic #missiles, while Russia and China can.

We can't even build an icebreaker, while "poor, pathetic, backward" Russia has 36 in service.

https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/to-build-ships-that-break-ice-u-s-must-relearn-to-cut-steel-da8c797f