The U.S. Coast Guard has signed off on the transition to full production of the first hull in the Polar Security Cutter series (PSC). The long-delayed project is a mission-critical replacement for the Polar Star, the United States’ sole remaining heavy icebreaker.
The service said that the transition to production status allows the Coast Guard (and the Navy program office that supports it) to build momentum on the project. It also gives shipbuilder Bollinger the ability to ramp up hiring, which will allow it to deliver the ship as quickly as possible.
The Polar Security Cutter is the first heavy icebreaker built in the United States in nearly 50 years, and all of the stakeholders involved in the project have had to relearn the skills required for constructing this uniquely demanding vessel class. The PSC’s ultra-thick hull is built of special cold-resistant steel to withstand polar temperatures, and the vessel is densely and heavily compartmentalized for strength. This adds considerable technical complexity and cost when compared to a typical Coast Guard cutter. A Congressional Budget Office report on the project found that it had also suffered from significant design issues, which the shipbuilder and the USCG have worked to address.
The program started with a contract award to VT Halter, owned at the time by Singapore’s ST Engineering. Bollinger took over when it bought VT Halter in 2022. In March, the Coast Guard awarded Bollinger a $950 million contract modification to underwrite the extra expenses. According to Bollinger, the timeline for delivery is now in 2030, six years behind schedule.
“Hard work and dedication have successfully put the PSC program on a strong path forward after a rocky start under the previous, foreign-owned builder,” said Ben Bordelon, President and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards in a statement in March.
After years of congressional pressure, the Coast Guard recently purchased a commercial icebreaker – Edison Chouest’s Aiviq – as an interim vessel. Shortly after taking delivery of Aiviq, the servicebegan seeking options for another midsize icebreaker on the international market.
