Bollinger Secures Deal To Construct Four Arctic Icebreakers

Bollinger Shipyards announced December 29 that it has signed a contract with the U.S. Coast Guard for the construction of four Arctic Security Cutters (ASC), a new class of medium polar icebreakers.

The contract formalizes Bollinger’s role in the collaboration between the United States and Finland, which the White House announced this fall. Bollinger will construct four ASCs based on the design of the Multi-Purpose Icebreaker by Seaspan Shipyards of Vancouver, Canada, developed with Aker Arctic Technology of Helsinki, Finland. Bollinger has worked in close partnership with Rauma Marine Construction Oy, a Finnish Shipyard, which the Coast Guard announced December 29 as the recipient of a contract for two additional ASCs to be built in Finland.

The partnership is designed to speed construction of the icebreakers, taking advantage of the Finnish company’s expertise, while also coordinating on-shoring that expertise in the United States in the long run, according to the Coast Guard. The first ship built in Finland is due to be received in 2028, with the first of the Bollinger ASCs following in 2029.

“These awards represent decisive action to guarantee American security in the Arctic,” said Adm. Kevin E. Lunday, acting commandant of the Coast Guard. “The Arctic Security Cutters will deliver the essential capability to uphold U.S. sovereignty against adversaries’ aggressive economic and military actions in the Arctic. These cutters will ensure the Coast Guard’s ability to control, secure and defend our northern border and maritime approaches—without question.”

Work on the four Bollinger ASCs will be based at the company’s shipyard in Houma, La., Bollinger stated. Construction will be supported by multiple facilities across the Gulf Coast.

“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,” Ben Bordelon, president and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards, said in the Bollinger announcement. “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. With clear direction from President Trump and an aggressive delivery timeline, our mission is straightforward: leverage the full strength of our shipbuilding facilities across the Gulf Coast, along with our proven partners, to deliver these cutters on schedule and mission ready on day one.

“By centering ASC construction in Houma, La., while drawing on our broader footprint, we gain the flexibility and capacity to move fast without compromising safety or quality,” Bordelon added. “These ships will operate in some of the harshest conditions on Earth. Our responsibility is to deliver a stable, reliable platform that Coast Guard crews can trust from their first mission underway and for decades to come.”

Bollinger Shipyard has more than 80 years of continuous operation, with 13 facilities across Louisiana and Mississippi providing direct access to the Gulf, Mississippi River and Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. It is the largest vessel repair company in the Gulf region, according to information the company provided. The shipyard is known for its design and construction of military and commercial vessels, including Coast Guard cutters, research vessels, double-hull barges, offshore energy support vessels, tugs, lift boats and other specialized steel and aluminum craft.

The contract for four Bollinger-built ASCs is part of a broader program that will field up to 11 Arctic Security Cutters under the tri-lateral ICE Pact framework, Bollinger stated. Together with the ongoing Polar Security Cutter program, the ASC program will provide the Coast Guard with a modern, layered icebreaking fleet “capable of enforcing U.S. sovereignty, protecting American interests against global threats and enabling year-round operations as commercial activity and strategic competition accelerate in the Arctic,” the company said.

The ASC is designed to be capable of breaking thick sea ice, sailing thousands of nautical miles without resupply and remaining on-station for extended periods.