Bollinger Shipyards, Lockport, La. is ramping up to continue production of the U.S. Coast Guard’s fast response cutters (FRC), positioning itself to build up to a dozen more vessels as Congress considers a $1 billion proposal in President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill.
“To be mindful of the American taxpayer, I made the decision to move forward now to help stabilize costs and ensure we’re maximizing the value of every dollar Congress invests,” Ben Bordelon, Bollinger president and CEO, said in a press release. “The longer we wait, the more costs rise. We’re making this bet now to ensure we’re positioned to build more than 10 FRCs. These are proactive steps to protect the industrial base and keep Bollinger’s skilled workers on the job.”
To prepare for the anticipated demand, Bollinger said it is investing in workforce, materials, and equipment to ensure uninterrupted production. The company has already more than doubled its workforce in the past two years and is actively expanding through its 14-week Bollinger Shipbuilding Bootcamp — an “earn while you learn” program that has drawn over 1,600 applicants from 22 states and offers full pay, benefits, and hands-on training from day one.
“We’re growing our workforce, modernizing our facilities and enhancing our capacity, all to make sure we continue to answer the call from our government and commercial customers,” said Bordelon. “I’ve continued to say that when contracts are awarded with stable and realistic funding, shipyards flourish.”
FRC production at Bollinger’s Lockport facility currently supports more than 600 skilled jobs and engages a supply chain of nearly 1,000 vendors across 37 states, the company noted.
Amid these preparations for the next wave of cutters, Bollinger on Tuesday also announced the delivery of the USCGC Frederick Mann at Coast Guard Sector Key West in Florida. Officially handed over last week, this marks the 60th FRC delivered under the Coast Guard’s current program and the 186th vessel Bollinger has built for the agency over the past 40 years.
The Frederick Mann is the third FRC to be homeported in Kodiak, Alaska, and the sixth to join the fleet in Alaskan waters. The 154' vessel has been called an operational “game changer” by Coast Guard officials, who praise the FRC for its 28-knot flank speed, advanced C4ISR suite, and versatile mission capabilities, including long-range deployments as far as the Marshall Islands.
“The FRC platform has proven itself time and again as a cornerstone of the Coast Guard’s fleet, excelling in a wide range of operational conditions. We’re confident this vessel will serve its crew well in their mission of defending our nation’s national security interests over a vast and challenging area of responsibility,” said Bordelon.
The cutter honors Chief Warrant Officer Frederick “Fred” Mann, a highly decorated Coast Guardsman who served 31 years, earned the Silver Star at Guadalcanal, and commanded units across the U.S.
