Dec. 18, 2020 —. The Coast Guard and Navy, through an Integrated Program Office, awarded VT Halter Marine Inc., of Pascagoula, Mississippi, a fixed price incentive (firm) contract for the Detail Design and Construction of the Coast Guard’s lead Polar Security Cutter (PSC). NAVSEA is the lead contracting authority. USCG to award contract for Polar Security Cutter “this spring”. Construction of the lead PSC is scheduled to begin in 2021 with delivery planned for 2024. The U.S. Coast Guard established the heavy polar icebreaker acquisition program in 2012. The Coast Guard’s medium icebreaker … 3 CRS Report RL34391, Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter (Polar Icebreaker) Program: Background and Issues for Congress, by Ronald O'Rourke. The CMS provides a classified and unclassified switching system, common end-user terminals  and software needed to support PSC operations. The CMS will be provided to the PSC shipbuilder as government-furnished equipment (GFE). The Coast Guard is the nation’s lead agency responsible for providing assured surface access in the polar regions. VT Halter Marine Inc., Pascagoula, Mississippi, is awarded a $745,940,860 fixed-price incentive-firm contract for the detail design and construction of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Polar Security Cutter (PSC) (formerly the Heavy Polar Ice Breaker). Polar Star is the Coast Guard’s only active heavy icebreaker. This strategy also increases the potential for acquisition and sustainment cost savings. July 25, 2019 - Coast Guard Acquisition Excellence On Full Display At 4 In the designations WHEC, WMEC, and WPB, W means Coast Guard ship, HEC stands for high-endurance cutter, MEC stands for medium-endurance cutter, and PB stands for patrol boat. In the agreement that ended the 35-day partial government shutdown in February, Congress and the White House allotted $655 million to award a contract for a new Polar Security Cutter. The Coast Guard intends to acquire three new heavy ice breakers with up to $1.9 billion allocated to the program. The removal of funding for the first new polar security cutter in the Department of Homeland Security budget delays a timely, critical acquisition with award of a contract to a U.S. shipbuilder. Acquiring complex systems and components separately from the main production contract and providing them to the prime contractor as GFE is a feature of other major Coast Guard surface acquisition programs, such as the national security cutter, offshore patrol cutter and fast response cutter. Aug. 8, 2019 - Polar Security Cutter Integrated Program Office Recognized as DHS Program of the Year. The first PSC, currently under design, is on contract for delivery in 2024. Giving the 2019 State of the Coast Guard address at Coast Guard Base Los Angeles-Long Beach in San Pedro, Calif., yesterday, Coast Guard Commandant Karl Schultz called the heavy icebreaker acquisition “critical to our national … VT Halter awarded $745.9M for Coast Guard's new Polar Security Cutter The contract covers engineering and detail design of the Coast Guard's new polar icebreaker, as … For more information: In-Service Vessel Sustainment program page and Polar Security Cutter program page Options are available for delivery of additional systems for the second and third PSCs. The initial award is valued at $745.9 million and supports non-recurring engineering and detail design of the PSC class as well as procurement of long lead-time materials and construction of the first ship. Options are available for delivery of additional systems for the second and third PSCs. In July 2021, Halter Marine expects to complete upgrades to the launch way area where the PSC will be … The 399-foot cutter, commissioned in 1976, supports nine of the 11 Coast Guard statutory missions. The first PSC, currently under design, is on contract for delivery in 2024. The initial value of the award is $2.7 million. This contract award supports the United States’ ability to recapitalize heavy polar icebreaker capabilities that are vital to our nation’s ability to conduct national missions, respond to critical events, and project presence in the polar regions. The Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter (PSC) program is a program to acquire three new PSCs (i.e., heavy polar icebreakers), to be followed years from now by the acquisition of up to three new Arctic Security Cutters (ASCs) (i.e., medium polar icebreakers). This C5ISR equipment provides connectivity among the PSC’s radios, modems, cryptographic equipment, classified communication capable user terminals, recording devices and internal voice network equipment. The Coast Guard and Navy said VT Halter Marine‘s winning design for the new Polar Security Cutter (PSC) “meets or exceeds all threshold requirements” in the ship specification and includes incentives to deliver early.. On Tuesday, VT Halter won a potential $1.9 billion contract to start detail design and construction of up to three PSCs. The 399-foot cutter, commissioned in 1976, supports nine of the 11 Coast Guard statutory missions. The following is the complete April 23, 2019 contract announcement for the Polar Security Cutter. The Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter (PSC) program, previously known as the polar icebreaker (PIB) program, is a program to acquire three new heavy polar icebreakers, to be followed years from now by the acquisition of up to three new medium polar icebreakers. The … These documents remain the official source for regulatory information published by the Coast Guard. The USCG has been working towards securing funding for a new polar class icebreaker for at least the past decade. In January 2018, Commandant Adm. Zukunftsaid that "in the event this world changes in th… The contract has a total potential value of up to $9 million if all options are exercised. If all options are exercised, the total contract value is $1.9 billion. As we reported earlier, as prime contractor, VT Halter has been awarded a $745,940,860 fixed-price incentive-firm contract for the detail design and construction of the first PSC (formerly the Heavy Polar Icebreaker). By providing critical elements such as cutter boats, radar, weapons and C5ISR systems as GFE, the Coast Guard can better manage configuration and achieve greater systems commonality across multiple asset classes. The contract also includes options for the construction of two additional PSCs. The U.S. Coast Guard is set to award the contract for the first Polar Security Cutter in the very near future. The first cutter, he said, would replace the 43-year-old USCGC Polar Star (WAGB-10), which has experienced more and more severe engineering casualties in recent years when it … The Coast Guard and U.S. Navy, through an integrated program office, awarded VT Halter Marine Inc. of Pascagoula, Mississippi, a fixed price incentive (firm) contract for the detail, design and construction of the lead PSC April 23, 2019. Editor’s note: The content of this post is an excerpt from a Coast Guard news release issued April 23, 2019. For more information: In-Service Vessel Sustainment program page and Polar Security Cutter program page Last year, the Coast Guard awarded VT Halter Marine the contract to build the first Polar Security Cutter, with options to construct a second and third ship at its Pascagoula, Mississippi, shipyard. This blog is not a replacement or substitute for the formal posting of regulations and updates or existing processes for receiving formal feedback of the same. The Coast Guard on Dec. 17 awarded a firm-fixed price contract to L3 Technologies Inc. in Camden, New Jersey, for the design, testing and production of the communication management system (CMS) for the Coast Guard’s polar security cutters (PSCs). Posted by LT Amy Midgett, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Halter Marine has announced that it will prepare the Polar Security Cutter (PSC) for construction, following its progression through the detailed … In 2016, the Coast Guard established an integrated program office with the U.S. Navy to use the Navy's shipbuilding expertise for acquiring the icebreakers. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Karl Schultz called the Alaska delegation to share the news and thank … For more information: Polar Security Cutter page, Assistant Commandant for Human Resources (CG-1), Civilian Human Resources, Diversity and Leadership Directorate (CG-12), Assistant Commandant for Engineering & Logistics (CG-4), Shore Infrastructure Logistic Center (SILC), Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation, The Office of Information Management (CG-61), Assistant Commandant for Acquisitions (CG-9), Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, HC-144/C-27J Medium Range Surveillance Aircraft. Despite this it continues to suffer from mechanical decay and requires expensive repairs on an ongoing basis. The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star arrives at Pier 26 on Coast Guard Base Seattle after a 108-day deployment to Antarctica, March 21, 2014. The US Coast Guard’s new polar security cutter (PSC) is rapidly progressing through the detailed design phase, and shipbuilder Halter Marine is actively preparing for its construction. The U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard have announced that Halter Marine of Pascagoula, Miss., was awarded the contract to build the nation’s first new heavy Polar Security Cutter in more than 40 years. This contract award supports the United States’ ability to recapitalize heavy polar icebreaker capabilities that are vital to our nation’s ability to conduct national missions, respond to critical events, and project presence in the polar regions. The acquisition of Polar Security Cutters is being jointly managed across the Navy and Coast Guard through an Integrated Program Office that leverages the expertise and utilizes best practices across each enterprise to deliver a fleet of highly capable, multi-mission ships in the most cost-efficient and timely manner possible. The Coast Guard is recapitalizing its polar icebreaker fleet to ensure continued access to both polar regions and support the country's economic, commercial, maritime and national security needs. More details are emerging about VT Halter Marine, Inc.’s winning design for the U.S. Coast Guard’s Polar Security Cutter (PSC). Construction on the first PSC is planned to begin in 2021 with delivery planned for 2024; however, the contract includes financial incentives for earlier delivery. Washington, DC—Today, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA), who served as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation from 2013-2018, issued the following statement after the Coast Guard announced a contract award for the new Polar Security Cutter—guaranteeing the ship will be built in America by American workers: “America used to be the … The Coast Guard on Dec. 17 awarded a firm-fixed price contract to L3 Technologies Inc. in Camden, New Jersey, for the design, testing and production of the communication management system (CMS) for the Coast Guard’s polar security cutters (PSCs). And then, of course, Baczkowski won the coveted $746-million dollar contract for the detail design and construction of the first of up to three … Polar Star is the Coast Guard’s only active heavy icebreaker. Tags: arctic, polar security cutter, VT Halter Marine, Coast Guard news release issued April 23, 2019. PSCs support a wide range of Coast Guard missions including search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, environmental response, and national defense missions. The initial value of the award is $2.7 million. The icebreaker is to be delivered by 2024. The Coast Guard is updating its schedule for its new heavy polar icebreaker after assessing key technologies for the program, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) official said on Wednesday. Icebreaker contract awarded; to be delivered in 2024. The award is part of a multi-year Department of Homeland Security program to acquire up to three multi-mission PSCs to recapitalize the Coast Guard’s heavy icebreaker fleet. Polar Security Cutter Contract Awarded to Replace Aging Icebreakers Posted on April 25, 2019 April 29, 2019 by Seapower Staff Members of the Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star participate in various activities on the ice about 13 miles from McMurdo Station, Antarctica, Jan. 26, 2018. This budget decision reduces our global maritime capability and limits the long-term ability of the Coast Guard to assure polar marine access. The design of the new Polar Security Cutter (PSC) is based on that of the German polar research and supply icebreaker Polarstern II. Currently the Coast Guard’s complement of icebreakers includes the 42-year old heavy icebreaker Polar Star which underwent an extensive three-year reactivation in 2013. The USCG released draft system specifications in April 2017, a draft request for proposal (RFP) in October 2017, and the RFP for advance planning and detailed design in March 2018. PSCs will enable the U.S. to maintain defense readiness in the Arctic and Antarctic regions; enforce treaties and other laws needed to safeguard both industry and the environment; provide ports, waterways and coastal security; and provide logistical support – including vessel escort – to facilitate the movement of goods and personnel necessary to support scientific research, commerce, national security activities and maritime safety. “Against the backdrop of great power competition, the Polar Security Cutter is key to our nation’s presence in the polar regions,” said Admiral Karl L. Schultz, Commandant of the Coast Guard. This award is a major step toward finally recapitalizing our aging Polar Security Cutter fleet,” said Congressman Young. Links provided on this blog will direct the reader to official source documents, such as the Federal Register, Homeport and the Code of Federal Regulations.