Yellowknife (Oct 02/06) - An American Arctic scientist said the United States needs to beef up its fleet of icebreakers, in part because Canada is talking about doing the same.

Mead Treadwell, chairman of U.S. Arctic Research Commission, appeared before the U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee on transportation last Tuesday.

While Treadwell said the U.S. needs a new fleet of icebreakers for work off the Alaskan coast and in the Antarctic, he said it's also important that the U.S. maintain its presence in polar waters.

"We require U.S. ships in the sea and the missions they accomplish," he said. "U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers maintain our national presence in both the Arctic and the Antarctic in support of the U.S. policy...," he said. "Canada's Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, has become particularly vocal about sovereignty issues."

During the January election campaign, Harper proposed building three armed icebreakers which could be based at a proposed port in Iqaluit.

During his first visit to Iqaluit on Aug. 12, Harper addressed an audience outside the legislature.

"On this you have my word, we will back our sovereignty over our land with all the tools at our disposal," the prime minister told the crowd, acknowledging that coveted northern oil, gas and minerals will only become more valuable in the future.