USCG issues RFI on light and medium icebreaking capabilities

Last month the Coast Guard issued a request for information (RFI) to assess the current capabilities of the U.S. and international maritime industrial base to support Arctic Security Cutter (ASC) icebreaker acquisition efforts. Now the service has released an RFI to inform the development of its acquisition strategy to recapitalize its light and medium domestic icebreaking capabilities.

Industry sources are invited to submit information on existing icebreaking-capable vessels or vessel designs that are ready for construction or already in production. The Coast Guard will use these responses to inform future program activities to recapitalize the domestic icebreaking capabilities provided by the 140-foot icebreaking tug and 65-foot small harbor tug.

The purpose of this latest RFI is to increase the USCG’s understanding of the level of maturity of the U.S. and allied nation maritime industrial base vessel designs that pertain to existing or production-ready icebreaking capable vessels.

The RFI also requests information from the U.S. maritime industrial base to produce existing or production-ready icebreaking capable vessels. Specifically, the USCG seeks to understand what existing vessels or production-ready vessel designs satisfy or closely satisfy its preliminary capability parameters to accomplish either DOMICE- Medium (DOMICE-M) or DOMICE-Light (DOMICE-L) missions.

Additionally, the USCG would like to gain insight on recently proven execution and build strategies as well as the current capability, capacity, and availability of domestic shipyards to support the construction and subsequent launch of an existing icebreaking-capable vessel design within twenty-four (24) months of a potential contract award.

Responses are due no later than 5 p.m. ET on May 22, 2025.

• Download the RFI HERE