Photo of a model of Halter Marine’s Polar Security Cutter seen at Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space Exhibition have surfaced. Photo credit Chris Cavas.
There are two closely related posts here that are significant for the Polar Security Cutter (heavy icebreaker) program. The first is an announcement that Bollinger is acqiring VT Halter and ST Engineering Halter Marine and Offshore, Inc from Singapore’s STE. The second article is from Forbes by industry observer Craig Hooper, published shortly before the announcement. It reports that, it appears VT Halter underbid the PSC contract and was headed for a disasterous loss. The schedule of delivery has slipped more than once. VT Halter has still not started cutting steel for the ship more than three years after the contract award.
I can’t say this is exactly good news, but solutions begin by recognizing you have a problem. We have had a series of warning signs and at least now there seems to be a change in management to a team with a proven track record.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
This is significant news, and I would say possibly great news(?)…Bollinger has done an exceptional job with the FRC class and the earlier Marine Protector class…this very well could bring the PSC program “back to life.”
I do think the Coast Guard bears responsiblity for this when they accepted an offer that was supposed to be based on a successful parent design and we accepted an offer based on a parent design that was not only never built but has never even completed detailed design.
Agreed. I was always surprised that the competing bidders didn’t challenge on the basis of the parent design issue. IDK maybe the other bidders used the Polarstern vapoerware plans for their bid or they crunched the numbers and saw the whole project was a likely business loss generator.
Why would they?
Bollinger teamed up with Knud E. Hansen who probably based their design at least partly on Nuyina and Fincantieri… well, they had both Vard and Aker in their team.
A different view of the take over:
https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2022/11/08/small-shipyards-consolidate-amid-navy-program-delays/
Dangers of the Lowest Bidder strike gain.
Roger Wicker, R-Miss. “Senator Praises Bollinger Shipyards Acquisition of VT Halter Marine and ST Engineering Halter Marine Offshore” https://seapowermagazine.org/senator-praises-bollinger-shipyards-acquisition-of-vt-halter-marine-and-st-engineering-halter-marine-offshore/