Alabama shipyard starts construction of new US Coast Guard inland tenders

Birdon America has begun construction of a new US Coast Guard cutter at its Bayou La Batre facilities in Alabama.

The vessel will be the first of the "waterways commerce cutters" (WCCs), which are slated to replace the coast guard's ageing fleet of inland tenders.

Birdon will build 27 new WCCs for the coast guard under a US$1.187 billion contract awarded in 2022.

The WCCs will consist of 16 river buoy tenders (WLRs) and 11 inland construction tenders (WLICs). Deliveries of both the lead WLR and WLIC are planned to occur in fiscal year 2027.

A third WCC variant, the inland buoy tender, will be acquired under a separate contract.

Birdon said the coast guards will use the WCCs to establish and maintain over 28,000 aids to navigation as well as perform secondary missions such as search and rescue, environmental protection, and protection of ports, waterways and coasts.

Birdon is also presently upgrading its Bayou La Batre facilities to enable the simultaneous construction of six or more WCCs.