Category Archives: icebreaker

U.S. Coast Guard Heavy Icebreaker Returns to the U.S. (but Not to Homeport) Following Completion of Antarctic Mission

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The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) sails under San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge after its 138-day deployment to Antarctica for Operation Deep Freeze 2024, March 31, 2024. The cutter will soon enter a Northern California drydock for phase four of its five-year service life extension program to prepare the cutter for the following year’s Operation Deep Freeze, which is the annual logistical support mission provided by the Department of Defense to the National Science Foundation, managed by the U.S. Antarctic Program. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Seaman Autumn Riewestahl)

Below is a Coast Guard News release. Note that while Polar Star has returned to the US, she did not return to Seattle, her homeport. Once again Polar Star will spend much of her inport time, probably the majority, away from homeport. Last year, in 2023, it was 19 weeks. The year before that, 2022, it was at least 146 days. I couldn’t find the figure for 2021, but I am sure it was similar. The decision not to change the ship’s homeport to the Bay Area, when they knew how much time the ship would spend away from homeport seems to me, cruel and unusual. I hope we never do this again.

April 4, 2024

U.S. Coast Guard heavy icebreaker returns to the U.S. following completion of Antarctic mission

SAN FRANCISCO – The Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) and crew returned to the United States Sunday, following a 138-day deployment to Antarctica to support Operation Deep Freeze 2024.

This deployment marks the Polar Star’s 27th journey to Antarctica in support of Operation Deep Freeze, an annual joint military service mission to resupply the United States Antarctic stations, in support of the National Science Foundation (NSF) – the lead agency for the United States Antarctic Program (USAP). This year also marks the 64th iteration of the annual operation.

The Polar Star crew departed Seattle bound for Antarctica on Nov. 15, 2023, traveling more than 27,500 miles through the North Pacific, South Pacific, Indian, and Southern Oceans, as well as the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska, which included stops on four continents.

While en route to Antarctica, the Polar Star made three logistical stops in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Sydney, and Hobart, Australia. In Hobart, the cutter and crew hosted the U.S. Ambassador for Australia, Caroline Kennedy, Australian members of parliament, Australian and Tasmanian government representatives, and local industry partners.

After arriving in Antarctica, the cutter broke a 38-mile channel through fast ice up to 12 feet thick, creating a navigable route for cargo vessels to reach McMurdo Station. The Polar Star and crew executed three close-quarters ice escorts for cargo vessels through difficult ice conditions to guarantee the delivery of nine million gallons of fuel and 80 million pounds of cargo to advance scientific endeavors in the most remote region of the world. The cutter departed the Antarctic region on Feb. 14 after 51 days of operations in support of Operation Deep Freeze 2024.

On the return journey, the Polar Star evaded a severe bomb cyclone in the Southern Ocean and had stops in Auckland, New Zealand, Yokosuka, Japan, and Dutch Harbor, Alaska. The Polar Star’s stop in Yokosuka consisted of a media visit and formal reception hosted aboard the cutter, where the crew conducted professional exchanges with senior maritime representatives from the United States, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, underscoring the importance of collaboration within the Indo-Pacific to promote security and stability across the region.

“The successful completion of this mission stands as a testament to the relentless commitment and selflessness exhibited by our crew,” said Capt. Keith Ropella, Polar Star’s commanding officer. “Despite adverse weather, difficult ice, and formidable mechanical challenges, the crew of Polar Star not only achieved their mission but did so with remarkable expertise and teamwork, proof of their devotion to duty and dedication to their shipmates.”

Operation Deep Freeze is the annual logistical support mission the Department of Defense provides to the NSF, which the USAP manages. This includes strategic and tactical inter-theater airlift and airdrop coordination, aeromedical evacuation support, search and rescue response, sealift, seaport access, bulk fuel supply, port cargo handling, and transportation requirements supporting the NSF. This unique mission demonstrates U.S. commitment to the Antarctic Treaty and scientific research programs. The Polar Star and crew contribute to this yearly effort by breaking the solid ice channel to clear the way for supply vessels.

The Polar Star is now in Vallejo, California, for phase four of its five-year Service Life Extension Project (SLEP). SLEP was awarded to Mare Island Dry Dock, LLC to recapitalize targeted systems, including the propulsion, communication, and machinery control systems, and conduct significant maintenance to extend the cutter’s service life. The Coast Guard will mitigate the risk of lost operational days due to unplanned maintenance or system failures by replacing obsolete, unsupportable, or maintenance-intensive equipment. Each phase is coordinated so that operational commitments, like Operation Deep Freeze missions in Antarctica, will still be met.

The Seattle-based Polar Star is the United States’ only asset capable of providing access to both Polar Regions. The cutter is a 399-foot heavy polar icebreaker commissioned in 1976. It weighs 13,500 tons, is 84 feet wide, and has a 34-foot draft. The six diesel and three gas turbine engines produce up to 75,000 horsepower.

Canadian Coast Guard Multi-Purpose Vessel Recapitalization

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Canadian CG MPV. Credit Aker Arctic.

Below is a press release from Seaspan Shipyards regarding a contract awarded for the Canadian Coast Guard’s Multi-Purpose Vessel program. We talked about these ships earlier. I am going to repeat some of that earlier post here. Much like USCG Juniper class buoy tenders or the Great Lakes Icebreaker Mackinaw, these Canadian ships are made to both tend buoys and break ice. But these ships will be a lot bigger than the Mackinaw and it appears they can also support a helicopter and probably UAS.

CHARACTERISTICS:

  • Displacement: about 8,500 tons
  • Length, overall: 99.9 meters (328′)
  • Beam: 20.3 meters (66.7′)
  • Draft: 6.2 meters (20’4″)
  • Propulsion: diesel-electric; two azimuthing propulsion units
  • Range 12,000 nautical miles

The relatively shallow draft was a design requirement. 

Canadian CG MPV. Credit Aker Arctic.

ICE CLASS: 

These ships will be Canadian Ice Class 4, meaning they will have the capability to maintain a speed of 3 knots through ice 4 feet thick. The Canadian Coast Guard will consider these heavy icebreakers. We don’t have any figures on horsepower, but they probably will have less than 20,000 HP which, in the USCG system, would classify them as light icebreakers.

Compared to the US Coast Guard’s “heavy” Great Lakes icebreaker, Mackinaw (3,500 tons and 73m), these will be more powerful and more than twice as large. These might be a good design for the planned second USCG Great Lakes icebreaker.

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE USCG:

Aside from possible use of the design for Great Lakes icebreaker, these might be pretty close to what the USCG needs for their planned medium icebreakers. Certainly, consultation with Canadian counterparts will sharpen the focus of the US design effort. We might also have reasons to limit beam and/or draft.

I might add that, ships like these could make good companions (tenders/mother ships) for support of distant FRC operations, carrying fuel, supplies, and air assets.

Seaspan Shipyards Progresses to Next Phase of Designing and Building Multi-Purpose Vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard

 March 26, 2024 – North Vancouver, BC – Seaspan Shipyards (Seaspan) has been awarded the Construction Engineering (CE) and Long Lead Items (LLI) contracts for the pre-construction work of the Canadian Coast Guard’s (CCG) first six Multi-Purpose Vessels (MPV).

Following the successful completion of the vessel’s Basic Design review in late 2023, Seaspan was awarded the CE and LLI contracts to complete the design and engineering work and to procure long lead-time material and equipment to ensure readiness to proceed with the construction of the first six ships of the up to 16 vessel fleet.

“This milestone demonstrates the tremendous capabilities in marine design and engineering that have been developed through the National Shipbuilding Strategy.  Our team, along with our partners from coast to coast, are excited to move to the next phase of this program, and ultimately provide the Canadian Coast Guard with the vessels they need to manage and safeguard Canada’s coastlines. A long run of ships like the MPV program enables Seaspan to continue to drive improvement and generate greater efficiencies, while ensuring we have stability for the next generation of shipbuilders, marine engineers and designers and supply chain in Canada,” said John McCarthy, Chief Executive Officer, Seaspan Shipyards.

“The designers and the ship builders of Seaspan Vancouver Shipyard – are playing key roles in taking the Canadian Coast Guard’s new multi-purpose vessels (MPVs) out of the drawing room and into the open ocean. The contracts announced today are an important milestone to getting these ships completed and represent an important investment in North Vancouver. This will secure good jobs while advancing the delivery of the MPVs to significantly expand the operational capacity of our Coast Guard for years to come.” – The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy & Natural Resources and MP for North Vancouver.

The MPVs will be Polar Class 4 vessels, allowing them to carry out multiple missions including icebreaking in moderate ice conditions and assisting in shipping and flood control, search and rescue, environmental response, as well as maintaining Canada’s marine navigation system composed of approximately 17,000 aids to navigation. The new fleet of MPVs will replace the existing fleet of High Endurance Multi-Tasked Vessels and Medium Endurance Multi-Tasked Vessels.

“The Canadian Coast Guard saves lives at sea, maintains waterways open and safe for the movement of goods and services, protects the marine environment and supports Canadian sovereignty and security. The Multi-Purpose Vessels will be key assets for the Canadian Coast Guard’s future fleet, giving our personnel the modern, reliable tools they need to continue their vital work from coast to coast to coast,” said Mike Kelloway, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.

Seaspan has already gained significant experience designing and building Polar Class vessels including three Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels which are now in service with the Canadian Coast Guard; an Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel that is currently under construction; and a heavy Polar Icebreaker, the first of its kind to be designed and constructed in Canada in 60 years. Seaspan is preparing to cut steel on the Polar Icebreaker in late 2024 with the recent completion of a prototype block, ensuring that proper processes, procedures, and equipment are in place to build a vessel of this complexity.

QUICK FACTS ABOUT THE MULTI-PURPOSE VESSELS

  • With a displacement of 8,500 tonnes, the Multi-Purpose Vessels will be 99.9 metres long and 20.3 metres wide, and able to accommodate up to 50 personnel.
  • The area of operation for the MPV will include:
    • Year-round operations in Canada’s eastern and western seaboards, within Canada’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
    • Year-round operations in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the St. Lawrence River, and the Great Lakes
    • Seasonal (summer) operations in the western and lower Arctic
  • Under the NSS, Seaspan has become a major economic and job creation engine. According to an economic analysis conducted by Deloitte, Seaspan has contributed $5.7 billion to Canada’s GDP since 2012, while also creating or sustaining more than 7,000 jobs annually.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter: @Seaspan
LinkedIn: Seaspan ULC
Instagram: @SeaspanULC
Facebook: Seaspan

ABOUT SEASPAN

Seaspan, a division of Seaspan ULC, is a leader in Canada’s ship design, engineering, building and ship repair industry. With modern facilities and a dedicated workforce of approximately 3,900 in North Vancouver and Victoria, the company has proven itself to be a trusted and strategic partner on a range of complex projects for both government and the private sector.

“Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter (Polar Icebreaker) Program: Background and Issues for Congress” Updated March 25, 2024 –CRS

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Polar Security Cutter. Image credit VT Halter Marine.

The Congressional Research Service has once again updated their look at the Polar Security Cutter (heavy icebreaker) program. (See the latest version here.)

I have reproduced the one page summary below.

As expected, the FY2024 budget includes $125M to purchase a US built commercially available icebreaker, presumably the Aiviq since it is the only one that meets the criteria.

The budget as enacted includes $20M for procurement of a Great Lakes Icebreaker (GLIB). The request for this item was $55M.

There was nothing in the enacted budget for the Polar Security Cutter program because the first two ship have already been funded but construction has yet to begin on the first ship, so there is no need to fund the third in FY2024.

There is a requirement to report on the possibility of reviving the Polar Sea,

In addition, within 120 days of the date of enactment of this Act, the Coast Guard is directed to provide a report that assesses the viability of reactivating Coast Guard Cutter Polar Sea. The report shall include an analysis of the material condition of the hull and cost and timeline estimates for a full overhaul of the vessel, including the renewal of the cutter’s propulsion, mechanical, electrical, communication, and support systems.

Summary

Required number of polar icebreakers. A 2023 Coast Guard fleet mix analysis concluded that the service will require a total of eight to nine polar icebreakers, including four to five heavy polar icebreakers and four to five medium polar icebreakers, to perform its polar (i.e., Arctic and Antarctic) missions in coming years.

Current operational polar icebreaker fleet. The operational U.S. polar icebreaking fleet currently consists of one heavy polar icebreaker, Polar Star, and one medium polar icebreaker, Healy. A second Coast Guard heavy polar icebreaker, Polar Sea. Polar Sea, suffered an engine casualty in June 2010 and has been nonoperational since then. Polar Star and Polar Sea entered service in 1976 and 1978, respectively, and are now well beyond their originally intended 30-year service lives. The Coast Guard plans to extend Polar Star’s service life until the delivery of at least the second Polar Security Cutter (PSC; see next paragraph).

Polar Security Cutter (PSC). The Coast Guard PSC program aims to acquire four or five new PSCs (i.e., heavy polar icebreakers), to be followed at some later point by the acquisition of new Arctic Security Cutters (ASCs) (i.e., medium polar icebreakers). The Navy and Coast Guard in 2020 estimated the combined total procurement cost of the first three PSCs in then-year dollars as $2,673 million (i.e., about $2.7 billion). The procurement of the first two PSCs is fully funded. The Coast Guard’s proposed FY2024 budget requested $170.0 million in continued procurement funding for the PSC program. The Coast Guard’s proposed FY2025 budget requests no procurement funding for the PSC program. The Coast Guard originally aimed to have the first PSC delivered in 2024, but the ship’s estimated delivery date has been delayed repeatedly and may now occur no earlier than 2028. Another potential issue concerns the accuracy of the PSC’s estimated procurement cost, given the PSC’s size and internal complexity as well as cost growth in other Navy and Coast Guard shipbuilding programs. The PSC’s estimated procurement cost per weight is roughly half that of the Navy’s LPD-17 Flight II and LHA amphibious ships. These amphibious ships are equipped with expensive combat system equipment that is not included in the PSC design, but whether this would account for all of the difference in cost per weight between the PSC design and the two amphibious ship designs is not clear. If substantial cost growth occurs in the PSC program, it could raise a question regarding whether to grant some form of contract relief to the PSC shipbuilder.

Commercially available polar icebreaker (CAPI). The Coast Guard’s proposed FY2024 budget requested $125.0 million in procurement funding for the purchase of an existing commercially available polar icebreaker (CAPI) that would be modified to become a Coast Guard polar icebreaker. The Coast Guard’s proposed FY2025 budget requests no procurement funding for CAPI, but the Coast Guard’s FY2025 Unfunded Priorities List (UPL) includes an item for $25.0 million in procurement funding for the ship.

Great Lakes icebreaker (GLIB). The Coast Guard’s proposed FY2024 budget proposed to initiate a new procurement program for procuring a new Great Lakes icebreaker (GLIB) that would have capabilities similar to those of Mackinaw, the Coast Guard’s existing heavy Great Lakes icebreaker. The Coast Guard’s proposed FY2024 budget requested $55.0 million in initial procurement funding for the ship, and the Coast Guard’s FY2024 UPL included an item for an additional $20.0 million in procurement funding for the ship. The Coast Guard’s proposed FY2025 budget requests no procurement funding for GLIB, but the Coast Guard’s FY2025 UPL includes an item for $25.0 million in procurement funding for the ship.

Canada’s New Icebreaker Fleet

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Current Coast Guard Icebreakers: CCGS Henry Larsen (medium icebreaker, top photo), CCGS Terry Fox (heavy icebreaker, bottom photo)Current Coast Guard Icebreakers: CCGS Henry Larsen (medium icebreaker, top photo), CCGS Terry Fox (heavy icebreaker, bottom photo)

Below are two news releases, first a release by Chantier Davie Canada Inc. (Davie) and second a statement from the Canadian Coast Guard.

The release from Davie is new (it also has an illustration). The Canadian Coast Guard statement dates from July 2019. I added it because it outlines what is expected of the new icebreakers.

The Davie news release says these will be the “largest and most advanced icebreakers ever built in and for Canada.” Currently the largest Canadian Icebreaker is CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent which is 15,324 tons full load, 119.8 m (393.04 ft) in length, and has three electric motors, 3 × 6,714 kW, or 27,011 HP total. Presumably these will be larger and more powerful, still the new icebreakers may turn out to be medium icebreakers, at least according to the US Coast Guard classification system that is based on horsepower, e.g. 20,000 to 45,000 HP are medium icebreakers.

The Davie release also notes, “Davie is a part of Group Davie, which in November 2023 acquired Finland’s Helsinki Shipyard, the world leader in icebreaker design and construction.” Maybe a good idea to buy the expertise you need.

March 26, 2024

Lévis, Canada – March 26, 2024 – Chantier Davie Canada Inc. (Davie) today announced it has been awarded its first National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) contract by the Government of Canada for the design of the six-ship fleet of Canada’s future Program Icebreakers. This major milestone marks the beginning of Davie’s NSS work package to replenish Canada’s Arctic fleet and each initiative under the contract will help advance upcoming design, construction, delivery and support phases for these strategic ships.

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Canada’s Minister of Public Services and Procurement (PSPC) said: “This first contract awarded to Chantier Davie under the National Shipbuilding Strategy brings us a step closer to providing the Canadian Coast Guard with the next generation Arctic ships. They will be among the most advanced, sustainable and durable vessels tailored to the world’s harshest environments. The new fleet will be symbolic of Canada’s Arctic presence and crucial to keeping our country open for business year-round.”

Davie President and CEO, James Davies, said: “This is a momentous first step in our journey to deliver a fleet of the largest and most advanced icebreakers ever built in and for Canada. My heartfelt thanks go to the dedicated teams at Davie, the Canadian Coast Guard and PSPC. They have spent countless hours preparing for this historic milestone. Now, we can’t wait to get working on renewing Canada’s Arctic fleet.”

Davie will establish a Program Icebreaker project management and design office, providing compelling opportunities for current and future generations of Canadian shipbuilders. Davie is committed to recruiting teams of highly skilled shipbuilding professionals, who will drive all aspects of constructing the world’s largest order book of heavy icebreakers.

Moreover, Davie will engage critical subcontractors to design and certify the vessel to established safety, environmental, and performance standards. Building on Davie’s proven track record of delivering vessels of exceptional quality and performance, this early phase is fundamental in guaranteeing sustained operational readiness and capability to best serve the CCG’s missions.

Julian Kenney, Program Director for the Program Icebreakers at Davie, said: “Embarking on the design and construction of Canada’s new icebreaker fleet is a great source of pride for everyone at Davie. We have a strong partnership with the Canadian Coast Guard and our top priority is to design and build the icebreakers Canada needs to keep our waterways open, protect our environment, and secure the Arctic.”

About Davie

Based in Québec, Canada since 1825, Davie is a world-class designer and builder of specialist, mission-critical ships such as icebreakers, ferries and warships for government and commercial customers. Davie became a partner in the Government of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy on April 4, 2023. This historic agreement is for the design and construction of the largest and most technologically advanced ships ever constructed in and for Canada. The initial $8.5 billion package of work includes seven heavy icebreakers and two large hybrid-powered ferries. Davie is a part of Group Davie, which in November 2023 acquired Finland’s Helsinki Shipyard, the world leader in icebreaker design and construction. Find out more at davie.ca and helsinkishipyard.fi.

For further information, please contact: Marcel Poulin Director, External Affairs and Industrial Participation, Davie marcel.poulin@davie.ca +1 581 992-8564

Canadian Coast Guard’s new Icebreakers

From: Canadian Coast Guard

Backgrounder

As part of the Government of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy and in accordance with the Canadian Coast Guard’s fleet renewal planning, six new icebreakers will be built for the Coast Guard. These icebreakers are fundamental to year-round safe and efficient movement of ships and goods in Canadian waters.

The new program icebreakers will replace the Coast Guard’s heavy and medium icebreakers that operate in Atlantic Canada and the St. Lawrence waterways during the winter and in the Arctic during the summer.  In Atlantic Canada, these program icebreakers help ensure year-long ferry service, escort ships through ice-covered waters and the clearance of ice from harbours and wharfs, which is essential to Canada’s commercial fisheries. In the Arctic, they provide icebreaking support to ships with vulnerable cargoes, such as dangerous goods and perishable products, and support vessels transporting cargo that is a vital part of the northern communities’ sealift and resupply.

The new program icebreakers will be built at a third strategic shipyard that will be selected through a competitive process under the National Shipbuilding Strategy.

“U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star completes Operation Deep Freeze 2024 mission, departs Antarctica” –News Release

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Below is a Pacific Area news release. I followed the link in the editor’s note and there are some great photos and interesting stories, including the fact that while in McMurdo Sound, divers went under the ice to repair a leaking shaft seal.  

ANTARCTICA, 02.03.2024,Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryan Graves
U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Don Rudnickas, the Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) operations officer, salutes Cmdr. Jayna McCarron, Polar Star’s executive officer, prior to a medal ceremony for Polar Star’s crew on the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica, Feb. 3, 2024. The U.S. military’s support of U.S. Antarctic research began in 1955. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command continues to lead the Joint Task Force-Support Forces Antarctica team in providing logistic support for the United States Antarctic Program. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryan Graves)

Feb. 23, 2024

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star completes Operation Deep Freeze 2024 mission, departs Antarctica

Editor’s Note: For more imagery of Operation Deep Freeze, click here. 

SOUTHERN OCEAN — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) and crew departed McMurdo Station, Antarctica, Feb. 12, after operating for 51 days below the Antarctic Circle in support of Operation Deep Freeze 2024.

The Polar Star and crew broke a 38-mile channel through fast ice to create a navigable route for vessels to reach McMurdo Station and escorted a cargo vessel and oil tanker through the ice to and from the station.

“This year, the fast ice in McMurdo Sound was exceptionally thick due to the winds and temperature at the end of last season” said Lt. Cmdr. Don Rudnickas, operations officer. “It challenged our ship and our crew in almost every way, but we met those challenges to achieve our ultimate concern – the resupply of McMurdo Station by sea.”

Before departing the Antarctic Region, the cutter also visited the Bay of Whales, where members from all three of the Coast Guard Regional Dive Lockers dove 90 miles south of the previously documented record for southernmost scuba dive. The crew also went ashore adjacent to the Ross Ice Shelf in the Bay of Whales where they conducted their Antarctica Service Medal ceremony and were able to walk up to the ice shelf.

“Operation Deep Freeze demands more than just breaking ice; it requires navigating the complexities of keeping a 48-year-old cutter operational while subjecting her to the most extreme conditions possible,” said Capt. Keith Ropella, commanding officer. “We rely on the crew’s technical expertise, teamwork, and their commitment to overcoming the relentless obstacles posed by time and nature. It’s also the collaboration of a Joint Task Force, comprised of servicemembers from the U.S. Air Force, Army, and Navy, that play a crucial role in mission success.”

Operation Deep Freeze is the annual logistical support mission provided by the Department of Defense to the National Science Foundation (NSF) managed by the U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP). This includes coordination of strategic inter-theater airlift, tactical intra-theater airlift and airdrop, aeromedical evacuation support, search and rescue response, sealift, seaport access, bulk fuel supply, port cargo handling, and transportation requirements supporting the NSF. This is a unique mission demonstrating U.S. commitment to the Antarctic Treaty and to research programs conducted for the betterment of all humanity. The Polar Star and crew contribute to this yearly effort through icebreaking to clear the channel for supply vessels.

The Polar Star is the United States’ only asset capable of providing access to both Polar Regions. It is a 399-foot heavy polar icebreaker commissioned in 1976, weighing 13,500 tons and is 84-feet wide with a 34-foot draft. The six diesel and three gas turbine engines produce up to 75,000 horsepower.

“USCG Leans In Towards First Polar Security Cutter” –Naval News

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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.

Naval News reports on Coast Guard remarks about the Polar Security Cutter program at the Surface Navy Association annual symposium.

There is some good news. The Commandant says she is, “100% confident in the design…” The keel has not been laid, but “Welding work is commencing on three build units purchased for the first ship.” (That phraseology does sound a little strange to me.)

She goes on to say,

“I’m focused on fielding the Polar Security Cutters …. [and] getting that first one well into construction, with some predictability around when that ship will come to full operating capacity. We’re working hard with the yard, with the navy, and with the program office to bring some better certainty and clarity around that,” said Adm Fagan.

Which clearly means we do not yet have the predictability, certainty, and clarity the Commandant wants.

Explaining why this is not just an Icebreaker, Rear Admiral Chad Jacoby – USCG Assistant Commandant for Acquisition/Chief Acquisition Officer – told the symposium,

“The distinction there is the Polar Security Cutter is going to do way more than break ice. It will have National Security Cutter-level capabilities, sensors, and equipment on a hull that can go anywhere in the world in any season,” Rear Adm Jacoby continued. “So, we’re not just breaking ice, we’re not just having presence: we’re going to be able to execute almost all USCG missions up in the Arctic, down in the Antarctic, anywhere in the world.”

I look forward to learning what that actually means. It certainly isn’t in terms of installed armament. I don’t see an air-search radar on either the model presented (pictured above) or the illustrations I have seen.

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 do appear to be AN/SLQ-32 antennas on top of the bridge on the model (in gray). Could there also be a SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Intelligence Facility) like there is on the National Security Cutter? There are also areas where containerized systems could be installed.

To me the most encouraging thing that has happened with regard to this class is that Bollinger took over the project when they purchased the shipyard that is building them. I wish them every success.

“Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter (Polar Icebreaker) Program: Background and Issues for Congress” –CRS, Updated Dec. 12, 2023

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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.

The Congressional Research Service has once again updated their look at the Polar Security Cutter (heavy icebreaker) program. (See the latest version here.)

I have reproduced the one page summary below.

For me the most important new information is that somewhere there is a new Coast Guard Fleet Mix Study. It has not been made public, but I would sure like to see the results. The last one goes back to 2009. Ever since it was published. it has been an important part of every Congressional Research Service report on the cutter procurement plan and apparently, it has been expanded to include Icebreakers as well as patrol cutters and aircraft. It is an important planning tool. Let’s hope they don’t take three years to make it public like they did the last time.

Summary

Required number of polar icebreakers. The Coast Guard testified in April, June, and November 2023 that a new Coast Guard fleet mix analysis concluded that the service will require a total of eight to nine polar icebreakers, including four to five heavy polar icebreakers and four to five medium polar icebreakers, to perform its polar (i.e., Arctic and Antarctic) missions in coming years. Prior to this new fleet mix analysis, the Coast Guard had stated that it would need at least six polar icebreakers, including three heavy polar icebreakers.

Current operational polar icebreaker fleet. The operational U.S. polar icebreaking fleet currently consists of one heavy polar icebreaker, Polar Star, and one medium polar icebreaker, Healy. In addition to Polar Star, the Coast Guard has a second heavy polar icebreaker, Polar Sea. Polar Sea, however, suffered an engine casualty in June 2010 and has been nonoperational since then. Polar Star and Polar Sea entered service in 1976 and 1978, respectively, and are now well beyond their originally intended 30-year service lives. The Coast Guard plans to extend the service life of Polar Star until the delivery of at least the second Polar Security Cutter (PSC).

Polar Security Cutter (PSC). The Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter (PSC) program is a program to acquire at least three new PSCs (i.e., heavy polar icebreakers), to be followed at some later point by the acquisition of additional new Arctic Security Cutters (ASCs) (i.e., medium polar icebreakers). The Navy and Coast Guard in 2020 estimated the combined total procurement cost of the first three PSCs in then-year dollars as $2,673 million (i.e., about $2.7 billion). The procurement of the first two PSCs is fully funded. The Coast Guard’s proposed FY2024 budget requests $170.0 million in continued procurement funding for the PSC program, which would be used for procurement of long leadtime materials (LLTM) and government-furnished equipment
(GFE) for the PSCs, and for other program expenses. (GFE is equipment that the government purchases and then provides to the shipbuilder for incorporation into the ships.)

On April 23, 2019, the Coast Guard-Navy Integrated Program Office for the PSC program awarded a fixed-price, incentive-firm contract for the detail design and construction (DD&C) of the first PSC to Halter Marine Inc. of Pascagoula, MS, a shipyard that was owned by Singapore Technologies (ST) Engineering. On December 29, 2021, the Coast Guard exercised a fixed price incentive option to its contract with Halter Marine for the second PSC. In November 2022, ST Engineering sold Halter Marine to Louisiana-based Bollinger Shipyards. The former Halter Marine is now called Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding.

Commercially available polar icebreaker (CAPI). The Coast Guard’s proposed FY2024 budget also requests $125.0 million in procurement funding for the purchase of an existing commercially available polar icebreaker (CAPI) that would (be) modified to become a Coast Guard polar icebreaker, so as to help augment the Coast Guard’s current polar icebreaking capacity until the new PSCs enter service, and to continue augmenting the Coast Guard’s polar icebreaking capacity after the PSCs enter service.

Great Lakes icebreaker (GLIB). The Coast Guard’s proposed FY2024 budget also proposes to initiate a new procurement program for procuring a new Great Lakes icebreaker (GLIB) that would have capabilities similar to those of Mackinaw, the Coast Guard’s existing heavy Great Lakes icebreaker. The Coast Guard’s proposed FY2024 budget requests $55.0 million in initial procurement funding for the ship, whose total acquisition cost, the Coast Guard estimates, might be roughly $350 million, depending in part on the exact design that is developed for the ship. The Coast Guard’s FY2024 Unfunded Priorities List (UPL) includes an unfunded priority for an additional $20.0 million for the ship that would be used for accelerating initial procurement of LLTM for the ship.

“U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star departs Seattle to begin Operation Deep Freeze in Antarctica” –CG News

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USCGC POLAR STAR departs for Operation Deepfreeze, Nov. 16, 2023. US Coast Guard photo.

Below is a news release from Coast Guard news.

Nov. 16, 2023

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star departs Seattle to begin Operation Deep Freeze in Antarctica

SEATTLE – The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) and crew departed Seattle, Wednesday, and are scheduled to transit to Antarctica in support of Operation Deep Freeze.

Operation Deep Freeze (ODF) is an annual joint military mission to resupply the United States Antarctic stations in support of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the lead agency for the United States Antarctic Program (USAP). This marks the 27th year for the Polar Star to render support.

Each year, the Polar Star crew breaks a navigable channel through ice, allowing fuel and supply ships to reach McMurdo Station, which is the largest Antarctic station and the logistics hub of the USAP.

“Operation Deep Freeze is a unique and important mission that Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star undertakes each year,” said Capt. Keith Ropella, Polar Star’s commanding officer. “This mission requires year-round effort from the crew to prepare this 47-year-old cutter for the 20,000 nautical mile round trip and extreme environmental conditions we will face. We have an incredible and dedicated team; I couldn’t be more excited or more proud to make this journey with them.”

The U.S. Coast Guard is recapitalizing its polar icebreaker fleet to ensure continued access to the polar regions and to protect the country’s economic, environmental, and national security interests. Each year, the crew is asked to put forth an immense amount of time and effort to prepare the cutter for their annual deployment in support of ODF. The Polar Star completed the third of five planned phases of the service life extension project (SLEP), costing $15.6 million over a 132-day maintenance period.

“The U.S. Coast Guard is pleased to continue partnering with the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Antarctic Program to enable a durable U.S. presence on Antarctica and across the Southern Ocean,” said Vice Adm. Andrew Tiongson, Pacific Area commander. “Our commitment to the Antarctic region is unwavering, and we have been pleased to increase our maritime cooperation with like-minded members of the Antarctic Treaty, as well as investing in new technologies and vessels to ensure our presence is enduring.”

Joint Task Force-Support Forces Antarctica, provides Department of Defense support to the NSF and the USAP through ODF. Every year, a joint and total force team works together to complete a successful ODF season. Active, Guard, Reserve service members from the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, and Navy work together to forge a strong JTF-SFA that continues the proud tradition of U.S. military support to the USAP. The U.S. Coast Guard provides direct logistical support to the NSF and maintains a regional presence that preserves Antarctica as a scientific refuge.

“Media Availability: USA’s largest icebreaker to visit Charleston following Arctic deployment, interviews available” –CG News

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I am just passing along this news release from Coast Guard News. Charleston has become a major base for Coast Guard cutters with five NSCs to be based there. The first of the new icebreakers will go to Seattle, but there are clear indications that the Coast Guard also hopes to have icebreakers based on the Atlantic side. This visit might also serve as a preliminary look at Charleston as the future base for Coast Guard icebreakers. They may also be getting some minor maintenance done.

Nov. 1, 2023

Media Availability: USA’s largest icebreaker to visit Charleston following Arctic deployment, interviews available

CHARLESTON, S.C. — The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy is scheduled to participate in a media availability Friday during the ship’s port call in Charleston.

The Healy conducted an Arctic deployment to provide U.S. surface presence, high-latitude research in support of international cooperation, and engagements with Arctic partner nations. During the deployment, Healy conducted joint operations in the Barents Sea with the Norwegian Coast Guard, as well as joint operations with Danish and Icelandic sea services while operating in the North Atlantic. The cutter also hosted a science roundtable with researchers from the U.S., Norway, and other nations.

WHO: Capt. Michele Schallip, commanding officer of Healy

WHAT: Healy’s commanding officer will be available to speak with media members regarding the unit’s current deployment, scientific efforts, and international engagements.

WHERE: 2 Charlotte St., Charleston, SC 29403, Berth One

WHEN: Friday, 9 a.m., Nov. 3, 2023.

Editor’s Note: Media are asked to RSVP by 5 p.m., Thursday, with the Coast Guard’s Public Affairs Detachment Jacksonville at 786-393-4138 or by emailing D7PADETNorth@gmail.com. Interested media are requested to arrive by 8:30 a.m., Friday, with a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance to be processed through port security.

Homeported in Seattle, Washington, Healy is the Coast Guard’s only icebreaker designed specifically to support research and is the nation’s sole surface presence routinely operating in the Arctic Ocean. The platform is ideally specialized for scientific missions, providing access to the most remote reaches of the Arctic Ocean, areas barricaded by pack ice and unreachable by most research vessels. Since its commissioning in 1999, Healy has served as one of two active polar icebreakers and is the largest and most technologically advanced icebreaker in the Coast Guard. Healy accommodates a crew of 84 with a primary mission of scientific support. As a Coast Guard cutter, Healy is also a capable platform for supporting other missions in the polar regions, including logistics, search and rescue, ship escort, environmental protection, and enforcement of laws and treaties.

Media Kit resources:
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy webpage and Unit Facebook page
Links:
DVIDS B-roll for deployment coverage:  DVIDS – U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy departs Tromsø, Norway
News Room for press releases:  USCG News
Follow PACAREA on Facebook:  @uscgpacificarea
Follow PACAREA on X (formerly Twitter):  @USCGPACAREA
Follow PACAREA on Instagram:  @uscgpacarea
Follow LANTAREA on Facebook: @USCoastGuardAtlanticArea
Follow LANTAREA on X (formerly Twitter): @USCGLANTAREA
Follow LANTAREA on Instagram: @uscglantarea

-USCG-

“USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: Oct. 30, 2023” / “U.S. Naval Forces in Middle East Interdict $29 Million in Illegal Drugs”

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Total Battle Force Deployed Underway
291
(USS 232, USNS 59)		 107
(USS 74, USNS 33)		 85
(57 Deployed, 28 Local)

The US Naval Institute’s news service’s latest Fleet and Marine Tracker only mentions two Coast Guard Units, The USCGC Healy and Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA). They are respectively reported in the Western Atlantic and the Persian Gulf. Healy is pictured stopped in Reykjavík, Iceland on Oct. 24, 2023. From there, looks like she headed SW. No info on where she will stop next. They do have a photo from a drug bust by PATFORSWA cutter Charles Moulthrope (WPC 1141) on Oct. 12 that I have not seen reported elsewhere. I have included the news release I found as a result below.

The usual data indicating how many Navy units are operating under the various Fleet Commanders was not included, so we don’t know how many Navy ships are operating under 4th fleet.

It does look like the Navy is busier than usual with five carrier strike groups underway including four deployed, two in the Med and two in the Pacific.

U.S. Naval Forces in Middle East Interdict $29 Million in Illegal Drugs

13 October 2022

From U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs

MANAMA, Bahrain – A U.S. Coast Guard fast response cutter seized an estimated $29 million worth of illicit narcotics from a fishing vessel while patrolling the Gulf of Oman, Oct. 12, two weeks after another sizable interdiction.

USCGC Charles Moulthrope (WPC 1141) confiscated 2,980 kilograms of opium and 400 kilograms of methamphetamines as the fishing vessel transited international waters. The Coast Guard cutter was operating in support of Combined Task Force 150, which oversees maritime security operations for Combined Maritime Forces in the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman and Gulf of Aden.

“A success like this is a team effort. I am proud of each and every member of our crew,” said Lt. Cmdr. Stephen Hills, Charles Moulthrope’s commanding officer. “We remain committed to countering the flow of illegal contraband and promoting security and stability across the region.”

Hills’ crew previously interdicted another fishing vessel Sept. 27 while patrolling the Gulf of Oman, which led to the seizure of $85 million worth of illegal drugs.

Charles Moulthrope arrived in the Middle East in May and operates from the U.S. Navy base in Bahrain where U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces are headquartered.