The US Coast Guard recently published a request for information as part of its plans to acquire a new class of light icebreakers.
The homeland security cutter-light icebreakers (HSC-L) will replace the coast guard's ageing fleet of 65-foot (20-metre) light icebreaking tugs (WYTLs) that were commissioned into service between 1961 and 1967 as well as the service's 49-foot (15-metre) buoy utility stern loading boats (BUSLs).
The coast guard said the WYTLs are well beyond their planned end of service life.
The HSC-Ls will replace the WYTLs and the BUSLs with a single, dual-capability platform, maintaining year-round access to smaller ports and harbours.
The coast guard plans to build seven HSC-Ls. These new vessels will be designed to operate efficiently in a variety of ice conditions, providing safe passage and navigation for vessels of all sizes.
To address the unique challenges of ice navigation on the Great Lakes, particularly in severe winters, the coast guard is also proposing the construction of one additional homeland security cutter-heavy icebreaker (HSC-H). The HSC-H will join USCGC Mackinaw, which provides heavy icebreaking capability in the Great Lakes.
Combined, these vessels will break through thick ice formations, ensuring that vital shipping channels remain open; assist vessels trapped in ice; clear channels to keep commerce moving through icy waterways; and mitigate ice jams and flooding, which will reduce the risk of damage to infrastructure and communities along the waterways.