The following is text of a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard:
(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard has announced that Seattle, Wash. will be the home of the service’s new polar security cutters.
“The Pacific Northwest has been the home of our icebreaking fleet since 1976, and I am confident that the Seattle area will continue to provide the support we need to carry out our critical operations in the polar regions,” said Adm. Karl Schultz, commandant of the Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard is the nation’s lead agency responsible for providing assured surface access in the polar regions. The addition of the polar security cutters in Seattle will support the United States’ ability to conduct national missions, respond to critical events, and project American presence in the high latitudes.
The Coast Guard conducted a detailed analysis to identify locations that could accommodate the polar security cutter. Based on operational and logistical needs, Seattle was determined to be the appropriate home port for the first three polar security cutters.
In April, VT Halter Marine of Pascagoula, Miss., was awarded a contract for the detail design and construction of the Coast Guard’s polar security cutter class.