Skip to main content

VIEW LARGER COVER

On July 11, 2017, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Committee on Polar Icebreaker Cost Assessment released a letter report that advises the U.S. Congress on strategies to minimize life-cycle costs of polar icebreaker acquisition and operations. The Committee recommends the number and type of polar icebreakers to fund and an acquisition strategy that achieves a lower cost.

The Committee developed an independent cost estimate using available concept designs to determine if the U.S. Coast Guard’s existing cost estimates for heavy and medium icebreakers are reasonable. It also compared operating costs of the current fleet to the prospective operating costs of new vessels. The Committee recommends a science-ready design for the new icebreakers and the use of an enhanced maintenance program to ensure continuity of operations for existing icebreakers.

This letter report is mandated by the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015, and sponsored by the USCG. View the press release.

View a video summarizing the report findings:

On July 25, 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation held a hearing that examines the U.S. Coast Guard’s infrastructure and acquisition needs, and includes the testimony of Rear Admiral Richard D. West (Navy Ret.) who served as Chair for the Committee on Polar Icebreaker Cost Assessment. Witness statements are available online, and the video of the hearing is below:

RESOURCES AT A GLANCE

Video(s):

Video: New Report Recommends Construction of Four New Polar Icebreakers
Video: Congressional Hearing - Building a 21st Century Infrastructure for America: Coast Guard Sea, Land, and Air Capabilities, Part II

Suggested Citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Acquisition and Operation of Polar Icebreakers: Fulfilling the Nation’s Needs. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/24834.

Import this citation to:

Publication Info

8.5 x 11 |  DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/24834

What is skim?

The Chapter Skim search tool presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter. You may select key terms to highlight them within pages of each chapter.

Videos

Video: New Report Recommends Construction of Four New Polar Icebreakers

Produced by the NASEM

Video: Congressional Hearing - Building a 21st Century Infrastructure for America: Coast Guard Sea, Land, and Air Capabilities, Part II

U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation; July 25, 2017

loading iconLoading stats for Acquisition and Operation of Polar Icebreakers: Fulfilling the Nation’s Needs...