Bollinger Shipyards has received approval to begin full production of the US Coast Guard’s Polar Security Cutter (PSC).
This initiative replaces the force’s aging icebreaker ships operational since the 70s with new vessels, all of which are to cover maritime security and logistics support across the Arctic, Antarctic, and similar domains.
The first cutter is expected to be delivered in 2030. It will be named the USCGC Polar Sentinel (WMSP-21) and homeported in Seattle, Washington, alongside its sister ships.
Bollinger started the Polar Sentinel’s construction in December 2024. In March, the company accepted a $951.6-million contract modification to expedite the program’s associated detailed design and assembly phase.
“Securing the green light for full production underscores the confidence the US Government places in Bollinger to deliver the nation’s first heavy polar icebreaker in nearly fifty years,” Bollinger Shipyards CEO and President Ben Bordelon stated.
“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.”
Existing Polar Cutters
The coast guard currently uses a single heavy icebreaker, the USCGC Polar Star (WAGB-10), and a single medium-class, the USCGC Healy (WAGB-20), for missions in polar regions.
In April, the service announced it is finalizing the life extension overhaul for the Polar Star to sustain its operability until the new PSC systems arrive by the end of the decade.
In January, the force’s first-generation polar cutters were joined by a stand-in vessel, the USCGC Storis, which was modified from its standard commercial icebreaker capabilities.
The PSC
The US Coast Guard’s incoming PSC system measures 460 feet (140 meters) in length and has a beam of 86 feet (26 meters).
It will have space for over 180 personnel and a maritime helicopter, and will be designed to sail for 90 straight days.
The vessel will be fitted with 30-millimeter autocannons as well as 12.7-millimeter crew-served machine guns.
For power, the PSC will be integrated with a 45,000-horsepower diesel-electric engine for about 3 knots (3.4 miles/5.5 kilometers per hour) across ice sheets up to 8 feet (2 meters) thick.
