HOUMA, La. — Bollinger Shipyards (“Bollinger”) has announced it reached an agreement on final contract terms with the U.S. Coast Guard to begin production on the Arctic Security Cutter (ASC) program, advancing one of the nation’s most critical maritime security programs and strengthening the United States’ ability to operate sooner in the increasingly strategic Arctic regions.
The agreement follows the initial contract award announced earlier this year and clears the way for production to begin on the Coast Guard’s new class of medium polar icebreakers. The Arctic Security Cutter is a new class of medium polar icebreakers designed to operate in harsh Arctic conditions while expanding the Coast Guard’s ability to protect U.S. interests in the region.
By leveraging a design already selected by close allies and supported by an established supply chain, the program offers significant advantages in sustainment, training, interoperability and lifecycle affordability. This approach directly supports the Administration’s emphasis on accelerating timelines and delivering capability to the Coast Guard without delay.
Arctic Cutter Production to Center in Houma
The Arctic Security Cutter program will leverage Bollinger’s integrated manufacturing network, which includes more than a dozen strategically located facilities and over a 4,000 skilled workforce across the Gulf. Construction will be centered at Bollinger’s Houma shipyard, with additional work distributed across the company’s Gulf Coast facilities.
For more than two decades, Bollinger has built complex commercial vessels using a production model that divides engineering, fabrication, assembly and final construction among its network of shipyards. By spreading work across multiple facilities, the company can better manage capacity, keep projects on schedule and maintain consistent quality standards throughout the construction process.
Officials Highlight Strategic Importance
“We are honored in the trust President Trump and the U.S. Government has placed in Bollinger as the lead American shipyard to deliver on the critical Arctic Security Cutter program,” said Ben Bordelon, President and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards. “Our objective has always been clear: deliver a proven Arctic capability to the Coast Guard, strengthen the American shipbuilding industrial base, and provide taxpayers with the best long-term value through commonality, sustainment efficiencies and low-risk acquisition approach. We believe the United States cannot afford to lose another decade building its Arctic presence, and we are committed to delivering these vessels with the urgency this mission and our President demands.”
“America’s future in the Arctic demands strength, capability, and resolve,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said the statement. “I want to thank President Trump for his bold leadership and vision in directing this critical investment that made these icebreakers possible.”
“The progress we’ve made to date on the ASC program reflects the strength of our partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard and the skill of our shipbuilders across the Gulf of America,” Bordelon added. “This award not only reinforces Bollinger’s leading role in revitalizing the domestic shipbuilding industrial base but also highlights the importance of investing in American manufacturing and the workforce that powers it.”
Bollinger’s continued work on the Arctic Security Cutter program builds on its more than four-decade partnership with the Coast Guard, during which it has delivered 189 mission-ready vessels. The Arctic Security Cutter will be the fifth class of Coast Guard cutter built by the company, which is also constructing the Coast Guard’s Polar Security Cutter, the nation’s first heavy polar icebreaker in decades.
The Coast Guard ultimately plans to acquire up to 11 Arctic Security Cutters to complement its future Polar Security Cutter fleet.
For eighty years, Bollinger Shipyards has designed and built high-performance military patrol boats and salvage vessels, research vessels, ocean-going double hull barges, offshore oil field support vessels, tugboats, rigs, lift boats, inland waterways push boats, barges, and other steel and aluminum products as part of the U.S. industrial base. Bollinger is the largest vessel repair company in the Gulf region.
