DHS approves full production of first Polar Security Cutter

Image: Bollinger Shipyards

The Department of Homeland Security this week approved full production of the first U.S. Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter (PSC). The Coast Guard also received DHS approval for low-rate initial production of the Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC).

The Coast Guard hailed the DHS decision as a significant milestone bringing the service closer to renewing and enhancing operational capabilities in both the polar regions and the Americas.

Approval for Polar Security Cutter full production enables the Coast Guard and U.S. Navy integrated program office to maintain production momentum, and for the shipbuilder, Bollinger Shipyards, to accelerate hiring to deliver this critical asset as quickly as possible to support national security initiatives. The PSC is the first heavy polar icebreaker to be built in the U.S. in nearly five decades. The Coast Guard is the sole federal agency responsible for icebreaking. Accordingly, the service must replace, modernize, and grow its fleet of icebreakers to assure U.S. access and sovereignty in the polar regions. The U.S. Coast Guard is committed to working with the Administration and Congress to fulfill the President’s direction on icebreaker acquisition.

Bollinger Shipyards says that the approval to begin PSC full production builds upon its recent award of a $951.6 million fixed-price-incentive-firm target (FPIF) contract modification, advancing the detail design and construction phase of the program. The decision significantly enhances America’s strategic maritime capabilities, especially in the increasingly competitive Arctic regions.

“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. Our team at Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding has worked tirelessly to put the PSC program on a solid path forward, ensuring this vital national security asset will be built by American hands.”

The PSC program has already significantly contributed to regional economic growth and job creation. Since acquiring Singaporean-owned VT Halter in November 2022, Bollinger has invested over $76 million into its Mississippi facilities and increased its Mississippi workforce by over 61%. Production roles at Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding alone have risen by more than 178%, driven in part by Bollinger’s industry-leading Bootcamp workforce development programs.

“Our investment in developing the next generation of skilled American workers not only strengthens our competitive edge in the shipbuilding industry but also underscores our commitment to fostering economic growth and American innovation,” added Bordelon. “We are committed to providing high-quality careers that positively impact the families and communities we support across America.”

FIRST EIGHT WATERWAYS COMMERCE CUTTER HULLS

The production decision for the Waterways Commerce Cutters program entails the first eight hulls of the River Buoy Tender (WLR) and Inland Construction Tender (WLIC) – WCC variants that are being acquired under a single contract, due to significant design and systems commonality. The Coast Guard plans to acquire 16 WLRs and 11 WLICs to recapitalize the service’s aging and increasingly obsolescent inland tender fleet, which supports the U.S. Marine Transportation System, facilitating the safe movement of over $5.4 trillion in annual commerce and 30 million jobs. Deliveries of both the lead WLR and WLIC are planned to occur in fiscal year 2027. A third WCC variant, the inland buoy tender, will be acquired under a separate contract.