The news comes nearly five months after construction was initially greenlit on December 19, 2024. That approval incorporated eight prototype fabrication assessment units (PFAUs) under construction or planned at the time.
In Congressional testimony Coast Guard officials repeatedly suggested that construction would begin before the end of 2024. In December 2024 USCG leadership had indicated a production decision by DHS was just weeks away.
It is unclear if construction already began at the time and this week’s announcement simply represents a ramp-up of production. But based on news from Bollinger Shipyards, where the PSC will be constructed, construction is now set to begin.
“Today’s announcement is a historic achievement not only for Bollinger Shipyards but also for American shipbuilding,” said Ben Bordelon, President and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards. “Securing the green light for full production underscores the confidence the U.S. Government places in Bollinger to deliver the nation’s first heavy polar icebreaker in nearly fifty years.”
The yard has been engaged in fabricating test modules to re-familiarize workers on how to weld the high-strength steel alloy called EQ47 suitable for the Arctic’s low temperatures. Work on eight prototype modules began nearly two years ago in July 2023, with each test module expected to take around four months to complete. The final PSC will consist of 85 modules.
The process of acquiring a new heavy icebreaker for the Coast Guard has been plagued by delays, substantial cost overruns, changing leadership, and a lack of transparency. Press inquiries by gCaptain related to the status of the PSC program routinely remain unanswered or are replied to with weeks-long delays.
Construction timelines and costs have more than doubled since contract signing with VT Halter Marine (now Bollinger) in 2019. The initial PSC was supposed to be delivered to the Coast Guard in early 2024. Only now, a full year past that original delivery date, is full construction set to begin. Currently delivery of the vessel is expected in early 2030, but based on the program’s track record further delays appear likely.
