Ideal Welders Contracted for Canadian Icebreaker Block Construction
Seaspan Shipyards has entered into a contract with Ideal Welders for the fabrication of 30 blocks of the new heavy Polar Icebreaker that Seaspan is building for the Canadian Coast Guard.Seaspan and Ideal Welders have had a long-standing, successful partnership — Ideal Welders has constructed many components of the ships Seaspan has built, including the bulbous bows of both Joint Support Ships, HMCS Protecteur and HMCS Preserver.Seaspan cut steel on the new Polar Icebreaker in April 2025.
US Coast Guard Modifies Offshore Patrol Cutter Contract
The U.S. Coast Guard on May 20 announced it modified its current contract with Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) so installation of the Athena combat weapons system and multi-mode radar system will be completed during the production phase of the offshore patrol cutter (OPC). The Athena system, radar and armament of the OPC are provided to the Coast Guard as Navy type-Navy owned government furnished equipment.Prior to this modification, installation of both systems was to occur after contract delivery while each cutter was in its homeport.
