VT Halter Marine Inc., Pascagoula, Mississippi, is awarded a $552,654,757 fixed-price incentive modification to beforehand awarded contract to train an possibility for the element design and development of the second Coast Guard Polar Safety Cutter. The Polar Safety Cutter Program is this system to exchange the US Coast Guard’s getting old fleet of icebreakers. The present fleet of huge icebreakers consists of 1 operational heavy icebreaker, the USCGC Polar Star, and one medium icebreaker, the USCGC Healy. Work is anticipated to be accomplished by September 2026. The U.S. Naval Sea Methods Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting exercise.

The Coast Guard is recapitalizing its polar icebreaker fleet to make sure continued entry to each polar areas and help the nation’s financial, business, maritime and nationwide safety wants. Polar Star underwent a three-year reactivation and returned to operations in late 2013. Since then, Polar Star has accomplished six Operation Deep Freeze deployments to resupply McMurdo Station in Antarctica. The Polar Star has additionally accomplished one uncommon winter journey to the Arctic. The Polar Star entered right into a service life extension mission (SLEP) in 2021 to increase the cutter’s service life by 4 years.

Commercial

The Coast Guard Cutter Healy (WAGB 20) enters the ice for the primary time simply east of Strait of Belle Isle. Captain Healy was most notable because the foremost seaman and navigator of his time within the Bering Sea and Alaskan Arctic areas whereas Commanding Officer of the U. S. Income Cutter BEAR from 1886 to 1895.

The polar safety cutter could have a size of 460 ft (140 m), beam of 88 ft (27 m), and have a full load displacement of twenty-two,900 lengthy tons (23,300 t). The polar safety cutter shall be based mostly on a German analysis vessel design that shall be modified to satisfy USCG necessities, it’s going to have a diesel-electric propulsion system, and could have lodging for 186 crew, scientists, and others as part of mission packages. The polar safety cutters fight system shall be derived from the Aegis Fight System, and the Coast Guard has not determined what weapons the cutters will carry.

The polar safety cutter ought to have the ability to break by means of ice of 6.5 ft (2.0 m) at 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph), independently break by means of strain ridges 21 ft (6 m) thick, and have the ability to function for 80 days with out replenishment. The medium icebreaker ought to have the ability to break ice not lower than 4.5 ft (1.4 m) thick at 3 kts and function for 80 days with out replenishment. The ships shall be geared up with floor and air search radars, shall be able to communications with different Division of Protection, Coast Guard, NOAA, and Nationwide Science Basis ships and plane.

The Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star, the Coast Guard’s only operational heavy icebreaker capable of conducting Antarctic ice operations, carves a channel in Antarctic ice near the coast of Ross Island, Jan. 16, 2017. The cutter is an integral part of the yearly operation to resupply the National Science Foundation’s McMurdo Station.
The Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star, the Coast Guard’s solely operational heavy icebreaker able to conducting Antarctic ice operations, carves a channel in Antarctic ice close to the coast of Ross Island, Jan. 16, 2017. The cutter is an integral a part of the yearly operation to resupply the Nationwide Science Basis’s McMurdo Station. (U.S. Coast Guard picture by Chief Petty Officer David Mosley)