U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) praised the announcement on Tuesday that Pascagoula, Miss.-based shipbuilder VT Halter Marine Inc. was awarded a major contract to build the next generation of U.S. Coast Guard polar icebreakers.
A United States presence in the polar regions is vital given the demands from increased commerce, tourism and research in the Arctic and Antarctic, the Coast Guard said.
The new contract will help the Coast Guard strengthen its heavy polar icebreaker capabilities in order to help it conduct national missions and respond to critical events.
“The Coast Guard’s heavy polar icebreakers are a critical part of our nation’s ability to protect our interests in the polar regions,” said Sen. Wicker, chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Coast Guard.
The initial award totals $745.9 million for VT Halter Marine to design and build the Coast Guard’s lead Polar Security Cutter, though if all options are exercised, the contract value will total nearly $2 billion, according to Sen. Wicker’s office.
“Winning the contract to build the Polar Security Cutter is a great achievement for the talented shipbuilders at VT Halter,” Sen. Wicker said, adding that the new investment would support the creation of up to 450 new jobs on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
“The ships we build in Mississippi will help close the gap in our polar defense and ensure American mariners cannot be denied access to the Arctic region by our adversaries.”