US, Canada, and Finland Unite to Build Advanced Arctic Icebreakers

The United States, Canada, and Finland have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on developing Arctic and polar icebreakers, building on the ICE Pact launched during the NATO Washington Summit in July. Rebecca Pincus, Director of the Wilson Center's Polar Institute, provides an overview of the MOU. She covers its key areas of focus: information exchange; technology transfer; and workforce development. She also describes the challenge it presents to China’s dominance in the shipbuilding industry, and the potential to influence NATO and other defense alliances.