Coast Guard issues $125M Aiviq acquisition contract

Aiviq in 2012 [USCG photograph]

It’s official, the Coast Guard has now issued a contract for the acquisition of the Edison Chouest Offshore icebreaking vessel Aiviq.

The Coast Guard Acquisitions Directorate says that on Nov. 20 it awarded a contract to Offshore Service Vessels, LLC, of Cut Off, Louisiana, “to acquire a commercially available polar icebreaker to supplement mission readiness and capability in the polar regions. The firm fixed-price contract, with a total value of $125.0 million, includes delivery and reactivation of the M/V Aiviq, a 360-foot U.S.-built polar class 3-equivalent icebreaker. The contract also includes provisions for technical data, spares, necessary modifications, certifications, crew training, and operational readiness activities.”

The Coast Guard says that it is procuring a commercially available polar icebreaker to increase operational presence in the Arctic while it awaits delivery of the polar security cutter (PSC) class.

“With minimal modifications, the commercially available polar icebreaker will be capable of projecting U.S. sovereignty in the Arctic and conducting select Coast Guard missions,” says the Acquisitions Directorate. “The service will evaluate the vessel’s current condition and capability and identify requirements to attain full operational capability.”

The Coast Guard intends to permanently homeport the vessel in Juneau, Alaska, and is planning infrastructure improvements to support future operations. In the interim, it is evaluating options to temporarily homeport the Aiviq.