ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama will announce Tuesday plans to expedite the construction of Coast Guard polar icebreakers in order to counter competition with other countries, namely Russia, in the Arctic.
A statement from the White House noted that the United States used to field seven icebreakers during World War II but now has only two that are fully functional. Comparatively, Russia currently has 40 with 11 on the way.