Page 35: of Marine News Magazine (April 2023)

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2025 and 2026; and the Polar Security Cutter program underway at Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding (previously

VT Halter Marine) in Pascagoula, Miss.—the series’ ? rst vessel Polar Sentinel is scheduled to be launched in 2025.

In June last year, Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder Austal USA was awarded a contract to build up to 11 medium-endur- ance Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPC) for the U.S. Coast

Guard. The initial $208.26 million award supports detail design and long lead-time material for one OPC, with options for production of up to 10 additional vessels, the

Coast Guard announced on Thursday. The deal could be worth up to $3.33 billion if all options are exercised.

Meanwhile, the ? rst four Heritage class OPCs are being built by Eastern Shipbuilding Group in Florida.

Among other noteworthy government shipbuilding programs awarded over the last 12 months is Denver- based Birdon America, Inc.’s contract awarded in October 2022 for the detail design and construction for the Coast

Guard’s new river buoy and inland construction tenders.

The deal includes options for the construction of a total of 16 river buoy tenders and 11 inland construction tenders, and the total contract value is estimated at $1.19 billion if all line items are exercised. Louisiana-based Bollinger

Shipyards has been subcontracted to build the hulls.

Government shipbuilding programs, as well as other vessel types such as pilot boats, patrol and fast craft will be covered in great depth in future issues of Marine News, so stay tuned.

The ? rst steel module for the U.S. Navy’s T-ATS 11 under construction at Austal USA. The Mobile,

Ala. shipbuilder is also building several other government programs, including the USCG’s second group of Offshore Patrol Cutters.

Austal USA