Dec. 13, 2019 —
Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star maneuvers in Elliott Bay with the skyline of Seattle, Washington, in the background Nov. 26, 2019. The cutter is scheduled to assist with ice breaking operations in McMurdo Sound near Antarctica during Operation Deep Freeze 2020. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Steve Strohmaier.
The Coast Guard released a request for information (RFI) Nov. 27 seeking industry input and feedback on the draft solicitation for the Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star service life extension project (SLEP) as part of the In-Service Vessel Sustainment program (ISVS). The SLEP effort will recapitalize a number of major systems and extend the service life of the cutter by approximately four years. This future contract will include SLEP work items and recurring maintenance in a five-year phased production schedule between 2021 and 2025.
The RFI is available here. The deadline to submit responses is Dec. 20 at 4 p.m. EST.
Polar Star, the Coast Guard’s only active heavy icebreaker, is scheduled to conduct ice breaking operations to create an ice channel for which cargo vessels will be escorted to resupply the National Science Foundation’s McMurdo Station in Antarctica. This marks the seventh time the cutter has been at the center of Operation Deep Freeze since the cutter was reactivated in 2013.
The 399-foot cutter – commissioned in 1976 – supports nine of the 11 Coast Guard statutory missions.
For more information: In-Service Vessel Sustainment Program page