Bollinger and Rauma to build six U.S. Coast Guard Arctic Security Cutters under White House plan

“Today’s award is a testament to President Trump’s leadership and his historic investment in America’s maritime industrial base,” said Ben Bordelon, President and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards. “We appreciate the trust President Trump has placed in the skilled men and women of Bollinger Shipyards and stand ready to begin construction on these critical vessels on day one. The Arctic Security Cutter will enable the United States to rapidly project American power, enforce our sovereignty, and reassert American dominance in the Arctic.”

The first three vessels will be constructed simultaneously by Rauma in Finland and Bollinger in the United States, before full production transitions to the U.S. Delivery of the first three cutters is expected within 36 months of the contract award.

“The United States Coast Guard is placing its trust in Rauma Marine Constructions’ proven shipbuilding capability. With a hot production line and our ice-class experience, we are ready to deliver the Arctic Security Cutters on an accelerated timeline in close cooperation with our U.S. partner and allied industry. Together, we will provide the Coast Guard with the world’s most capable Arctic security vessels,” said Mika Nieminen, CEO of Rauma Marine Constructions.

The announcement supports President Trump’s and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s initiatives to strengthen U.S. polar capacity and the domestic shipbuilding base. “Thanks to President Trump, this historic Memorandum of Understanding is a great win for our state that further cements Southeast Louisiana as a leader in America’s domestic shipbuilding industry,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA). “I am proud to represent the only shipbuilder in the United States in Bollinger Shipyards that has the capability, capacity and expertise to begin construction on these critical vessels on day one that will project American power and dominance in the Arctic.”

“Seaspan is extremely proud to work hand in hand with our American and Finnish partners, Bollinger, Aker and Rauma, to provide the U.S. Coast Guard with a state-of-the-art icebreaker design that is mission ready for extreme ice conditions and will fortify and strengthen Arctic security,” said John McCarthy, CEO of Seaspan Shipyards. “This contract award demonstrates Seaspan’s world-class marine engineering and design capabilities on the global stage, and further expands North America’s capacity to design, build, and export Arctic-going vessels.”

“Aker Arctic is honored to bring our proven icebreaker expertise to this partnership. The ASC program is a milestone for allied Arctic collaboration, and we are proud to help deliver world-class capability for the U.S. Coast Guard,” said Mika Hovilainen, CEO of Aker Arctic.

Under the ICE Pact trilateral framework between the United States, Canada, and Finland, the programme exemplifies allied industrial cooperation. Parallel construction in Rauma and the United States aims to accelerate delivery and establish a strong base for long-term domestic production and sustainment.

Designed to break four feet of ice and operate for over 60 days, the Arctic Security Cutter will enable the U.S. Coast Guard to maintain year-round access to polar regions for defence, sovereignty, research, and rescue missions. Canada’s Davie Shipyards will also contribute to the wider effort by building a separate class of vessels based on its Multi-Purpose Polar Support Ship design.

Source: Bollinger Shipyards (press release).