April 15, 2025

Polar Star begins final phase of service life extension work

The Coast Guard has initiated the final of five planned phases of the service life extension program (SLEP) for Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star, the service’s sole operational heavy icebreaker. Polar Star arrived at Mare Island Dry Dock in Vallejo, California, on March 30 to begin the remaining SLEP activities; the work is part of the In-Service Vessel Sustainment (ISVS) Program. 

March 31, 2025

Coast Guard transition to MHS GENESIS continues with digitization of paper health records

The Electronic Health Record Acquisition Program segmented the acquisition into four distinct segments: A, B, C and D. The digitization of legacy paper health records, which is part of Segment B, is currently in progress. As of February 2025, significant progress has been made with 40% of paper health records successfully digitized.

March 21, 2025

Coast Guard Cutter Spencer completes service life extension program

Coast Guard Cutter Spencer, a 270-foot Famous-class medium endurance cutter, departed Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore on March 8, 2025, having successfully completed its 20-month service life extension program (SLEP).

March 18, 2025

Coast Guard accepts 59th fast response cutter

The Coast Guard accepted delivery of the 59th fast response cutter (FRC), Earl Cunningham, on March 6, 2025, in Key West, Florida. Earl Cunningham is the second of three FRCs to be homeported in Kodiak, Alaska.

Feb. 20, 2025

Coast Guard accepts 18th C-130J long range surveillance aircraft

The Coast Guard accepted its 18th C-130J Super Hercules long range surveillance (LRS) aircraft from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Marietta, Georgia, on Jan. 30.

Jan. 23, 2025

Coast Guard takes delivery of 17th mission-ready HC-130J surveillance aircraft

The Coast Guard accepted delivery of its 17th fully missionized HC-130J long range surveillance aircraft, CGNR 2017, on Dec. 18, 2024.

Jan. 7, 2025

Coast Guard releases cutter boat-aids to navigation-small request for proposal

The Coast Guard released a request for proposal (RFP) on Dec. 18, 2024, for the design and construction of the cutter boat-aids to navigation-small (CB-ATON-S).

Dec. 30, 2024

Coast Guard accepts ownership of commercially available polar icebreaker

The Coast Guard on Dec. 20, 2024, completed acceptance of the motor vessel Aiviq from an Edison Chouest Offshore subsidiary. Upon commissioning, the ship will be renamed Coast Guard Cutter Storis and will enhance U.S. operational presence in the Arctic and support Coast Guard missions while awaiting delivery of the polar security cutter class.

Dec. 23, 2024

Coast Guard is building nation’s first polar security cutter

The U.S. Coast Guard/U.S. Navy Integrated Program Office received approval Dec. 19 to begin to build the first polar security cutter (PSC). The PSC is the first heavy polar icebreaker constructed in the United States in more than five decades. The work is being performed by Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, the prime contractor for design and construction of the future PSC fleet. This decision continues work that has been underway since the summer of 2023 as part of an innovative approach to shorten the delivery timeline of these critical national assets. 

Dec. 18, 2024

Coast Guard celebrates 40 years of service with H-65 helicopter

In November 2024, the Coast Guard marked the 40th anniversary of the initial H-65 operation, but the tenure of this critical asset in supporting Coast Guard missions is slowly coming to an end. The service has completed the transition from the MH-65D to the MH-65E, the final upgrade of this airframe. Obsolescence challenges with the MH-65 will lead to the sundowning of aircraft as they reach the end of their service lives.