US Coast Guard’s only heavy icebreaker is undergoing repairs

The US Coast Guard has sent the only heavy icebreaker, the USCGC Polar Star, for repairs.

This is reported by The Maritime Executive.

The vessel has started the last of five stages of the program to extend the service life and overhaul the structure of the icebreaker, which suffers from a large number of technical problems due to its considerable age.

This should allow the ship to continue its service until the 2030s, when its replacement is expected to be delivered. At the same time, the construction of a new ship has been delayed for six years.

USCGC Polar Star was commissioned in 1976 and has been actively used by the US Coast Guard since then.

Since there is no ship that can replace Polar Star in active service, the repairs are being carried out in stages. Upon completion of each stage, the ship returns to service as part of a joint military mission to supply and maintain US Antarctic stations.

The overhaul is being carried out at the Mare Island dry dock shipyard in Vallejo, California. The work has been underway since 2021.

Among the activities planned for the current period is the renovation of the two remaining areas of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. These areas will include the replacement of ventilation ducts, fans and heaters to improve air circulation and create a comfortable environment for the crew during long missions.

It is also planned to modernize the gyrocompass repeaters, which will bring these critical navigation devices up to modern standards and ensure safe navigation of the icebreaker.

In addition, auxiliary pumps and engines are to be replaced, which will upgrade key elements of the main power plant and auxiliary systems to modern, maintenance-friendly units.

Bollinger Shipyards, the company responsible for the construction of a new heavy icebreaker, is currently facing significant delays. This may lead to a revision of the choice of the main contractor and the transfer of the contract to a foreign manufacturer.

Earlier, Militarnyi reported that the United States is considering a Finnish shipyard in Rauma as one of the contenders for the construction of new icebreakers for the US Coast Guard.