Lits: I'm not understanding your thought about 'if it breaks down..."
I know the two big red polar-class boats have not run very well in the past, but I read Polar Star is recently out of the yards after a thorough overhaul, so I'm thinking it should be in better shape.
Yeah, I'll try to explain myself a little better. The Polar Rollers weren't run well in the past, as in only one is now an option (unless that has change) while the other is "done."
Healy, while it's bigger, isn't has capable of breaking thick ice.
So that's the entirety of the options. The Mac on the Great Lakes isn't an option, but is the other member of the red hull fleet.
There are two Polar class ice breakers, only one works. There is one Healy class, but it's not as capable. There is one Mac, but it's much smaller and only working the lakes.
Why failure?
A number of years ago, there was an earthquake in Haiti. The first U.S. asset on scene was a Coast Guard cutter (a 270' white hull). At the end of the day, a number of Coast Guard units responded. What got SOME press was the fact that, due to the aging fleet, a number of those cutters has emergencies that either required them to return to their home ports, or in two cases, have emergency dry docks.
The commandant used the issue in the "State of the Coast Guard" to high light the poor condition of the fleet.
But in the end, it only received passing attention.
The red hull fleet isn't much better. While the Polar Star is ready, now, the Polar Sea is scraps.
Want to make a very convincing argument to Congress and the President that the Coast Guard cannot continue to operate with the kind of funding it has? A last hope cutter from the United States, going to save Russia and China, and breaking down in the process would be a very easy highlight of the true issues. It would be front and center and our leaders in Washington would be PAINFULLY aware of it.