THE UNITED States Coast Guard and US Navy Integrated Program Office have received approval to begin building the first Polar Security Cutter (PSC).
The PSC marks the heavy polar icebreaker to be built in the United States in more than five decades.
The Coast Guard stated it is “recapitalizing” its polar icebreaker fleet to ensure continued access to both polar regions and support the country’s economic, commercial, maritime and national security needs.
The work is being performed by Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, the prime contractor for design and construction of the future PSC fleet.
The Coast Guard said the decision continues work that has been underway since the summer of 2023 as part of an innovative approach to shorten the delivery timeline of the national assets.
The approval incorporates eight prototype fabrication assessment units (PFAUs) currently being built or planned.
“The PFAU effort was structured as a progressive crawl-walk-run approach to help the shipbuilder strengthen skills across the workforce and refine construction methods before moving into a full-rate production,” the Coast Guard said.
“The PFA has prepared the government and the shipbuilder to begin construction of the PSC class, resulting in more precise, cost-effective and reliable construction processes.”
The Coast Guard’s operational polar icebreaking fleet currently includes one heavy icebreaker, the 399-foot Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star, commissioned in 1976, and one medium icebreaker, the 420-foot Coast Guard Cutter Healy, commissioned in 1999.
The service recently acquired a commercially available polar icebreaker to provide additional presence and mission capability in the Arctic.
