The U.S. Coast Guard announced the award of two contracts to build up to six Arctic Security Cutter (ASC) icebreakers.
The contracts were awarded to Rauma Marine Constructions Oy of Rauma, Finland, and Bollinger Shipyards Lockport, L.L.C. of Lockport, Louisiana.
The contract with Rauma Marine Constructions Oy includes up to two ASCs to be built in Finland, with delivery of the first vessel expected in 2028.
The contract with Bollinger Shipyards Lockport, L.L.C. includes up to four ASCs to be built in the United States, with delivery of the first domestically built cutter expected in 2029.
Specifically, Finland’s Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Coast Guard for the construction of two arctic security cutters (ASC). The contract will deliver the first two ASCs, as part of the agreement between the United States and Finland to accelerate delivery of icebreakers to the U.S. Coast Guard.
The icebreakers will be built at the Rauma shipyard and will be completed in 2028.
The contract is the result of the U.S.-Finland icebreaker cooperation announced earlier this fall under the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE Pact) framework, RMC said in a statement on Monday, calling the deal a major achievement.
Under the award, RMC will construct the first two arctic security cutters based on the proven multi-purpose icebreaker (MPI) design developed by Seaspan Shipyards in collaboration with Aker Arctic Technology. The vessels will be built in cooperation with the U.S. shipbuilder Bollinger Shipyards.
Meanwhile, U.S. designer and builder Bollinger Shipyards signed a contract with the U.S. Coast Guard for the construction of four arctic security cutters (ASCs), a new class of medium polar icebreakers that will expand America’s operational presence in the Arctic.
Bollinger will construct ASCs based on the multi-purpose icebreaker design by Seaspan Shipyards of Vancouver, Canada, developed with Aker Arctic Technology Inc of Helsinki, Finland. To support the objectives of the White House, Bollinger has worked in close partnership with the Finnish shipyard Rauma Marine Construction Oy to ensure that the US receives these icebreaking capabilities as rapidly as possible.
Work on the four Bollinger-built ASCs will be based at its shipyard in Houma, Louisiana. Construction of the ASCs will be supported by the company’s workforce at multiple facilities across America’s Gulf Coast to meet the aggressive schedule set forth by President Trump.
“The Arctic Security Cutter is one of the most consequential and time-sensitive shipbuilding programs in U.S. Coast Guard history, and today’s contract award is a clear vote of confidence in the men and women of Bollinger,” said Ben Bordelon, president and chief executive officer of Bollinger Shipyards. “The program will be Bollinger’s fifth class of cutters built for the Coast Guard, building on our current Sentinel and Polar Security Cutter programs and more than 40 years of experience in delivering over 187 cutters for the service.”
The contract for four Bollinger-built ASCs is part of a broader program that will ultimately field up to eleven arctic security cutters under the trilateral ICE Pact framework.
“America has been an Arctic nation for over 150 years, and we’re finally acting like it under President Trump. Our adversaries continue to look to grow their presence in the Arctic, equipping the Coast Guard with Arctic Security Cutters will help reassert American maritime dominance there,” said US Secretary Kristi Noem. “Revitalizing the U.S. Coast Guard’s icebreaking capabilities is crucial for our security and prosperity, and today’s announcement is an important step in that direction.”
