USNI News Schultz: Nuclear Icebreakers Are Not An Option for Coast Guard January 13, 2021 7:17 PM A starboard view of the anchored US Coast Guard icebreaker POLAR STAR (WAGB 10). Coast Guard Photo The Coast Guard will not pursue nuclear-powered icebreakers, despite previous White House requests that the service assess the possibility, its top officer said Wednesday. 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. That capability – the ability to operate that in the Coast Guard – that just doesn’t exist nor can we build out to that with all the demands on our plate,” Schultz said.