Davie Defense broke ground June 1, 2026, on a $1 billion modernization of Gulf Copper shipbuilding facilities in Galveston and Port Arthur, Texas. The project will enable the construction of three Arctic Security Cutters for the U.S. Coast Guard at the Texas yards, with the first phase of upgrades scheduled for completion in 2028. According to the company, the expansion is expected to create approximately 2,400 new American jobs and support up to 7,000 additional positions through supply chain activity statewide.
What it means
The modernization marks the return of complex shipbuilding to Texas for the first time in decades. Construction of the first of three Arctic Security Cutters (ASC) at Gulf Copper will begin coinciding with the 2028 completion of the initial upgrade phase. The total ASC program consists of five vessels; the first two are being built at Davie Defense affiliate Helsinki Shipyard in Finland, with the first Finnish-built cutter scheduled for delivery in 2028.
Davie Defense is part of Inocea, a British-owned marine industrial group with operations in the United States, Canada, and Finland. An independent economic study by Impact Data Source conducted in 2025 estimated the job impacts cited by the company. During the groundbreaking event, Battleship Texas, which served 34 years in the U.S. Navy including five World War II campaigns after its 1914 commissioning, was hosted for a special salute. The vessel is currently under renovation at Gulf Copper and will receive in-kind support from the shipyard to become a museum.
Key facts
- $1 billion: Potential overall cost of the shipyard upgrade
- June 1, 2026: Date of groundbreaking ceremony
- 2028: Scheduled completion date for the first phase of the shipyard upgrade and start of ASC construction at Gulf Copper
- Three: Number of Arctic Security Cutters to be built at Gulf Copper (part of a total of five)
- Two: Number of ASC vessels to be built at Helsinki Shipyard in Finland
- 2,400: Approximate number of new American jobs expected from the project
- 7,000: Estimated maximum number of jobs supported through supply chain and related economic activity statewide
- $3.5 billion: Value of the contract finalized with the U.S. Coast Guard for construction and delivery
Source: Davie Defense news release (PR Newswire)