Bollinger Shipyards hosted Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought and Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday this week at its Houma and LaShip facilities in Louisiana. The senior officials toured the yards to review construction readiness, workforce development, and infrastructure investments for the Arctic Security Cutter (ASC) program. Bollinger leadership reported that early production work is advancing based on initial steel-cutting and planning activities that began prior to the contract award.
What it means
The visit highlighted the status of a defense initiative designed to recapitalize the Coast Guard’s icebreaking fleet. The program supports a planned fleet of up to eleven vessels under the trilateral ICE Pact framework, which incorporates Arctic shipbuilding experience from Canadian and Finnish partners. Bollinger was selected to construct the first tranche of these cutters under a contract valued at approximately $2.2 billion.
The ASC design was developed by Seaspan and Aker Arctic. Company officials stated the program is on track to deliver on budget and on schedule. Ben Bordelon, President and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards, said, “The Arctic Security Cutter program represents one of the most important investments in America’s maritime and national security future.” The shipbuilder utilizes an integrated network of more than 4,000 skilled employees across the Gulf Coast. Over its 80-year history, Bollinger has delivered more than 300 vessels to the federal government, including multiple classes of Coast Guard cutters over the past 40 years.
Key facts
- $2.2 billion: Value of the contract for the first tranche of Arctic Security Cutters.
- Eleven: Maximum number of vessels in the fleet under the ICE Pact framework.
- 4,000: Number of skilled employees in Bollinger’s integrated shipbuilding network.
- 80 years: Length of Bollinger’s shipbuilding experience and legacy.
- 300: Number of vessels delivered by Bollinger to the federal government.
- 40 years: Duration of Bollinger’s partnership delivering multiple classes of Coast Guard cutters.
Source: Bollinger Shipyards news release