Steerprop, Rauma, Finland, has won its first order for U.S. Coast Guard vessels, with Bollinger Shipyards, Lockport, La., selecting the company’s propulsion systems for four Arctic Security Cutters.
Each vessel will be equipped with two Steerprop contra-rotating azimuth propulsors and two tunnel thrusters. The propulsion packages are scheduled for delivery between 2027 and 2029.
The cutters will be based on an existing Multi-Purpose Icebreaker design and are intended for operations across U.S. coastlines, with a particular focus on Arctic missions.
“We are delighted to secure our first order for US Coast Guard vessels and begin our cooperation with Bollinger Shipyards,” Steerprop CEO Riku-Pekka Hägg said. “The selection reflects confidence in both the performance of our ice-class propulsion systems and our proven ability to meet demanding project schedules.”
Steerprop said its contra-rotating propeller system was selected after demonstrating higher thrust and improved efficiency compared with conventional single-propeller arrangements in a Multi-Purpose Icebreaker reference case.
The propulsion concept uses propellers at both ends of the azimuth unit to increase thrust and efficiency while maintaining maneuverability in ice. Steerprop said its ice-class tunnel thrusters are designed to operate without protective ice grids.
In model testing conducted in 2024, Steerprop said its contra-rotating system produced about 10% more thrust at the same power, or the same thrust with 13.9% less power, compared with a single-propeller system of equivalent power. The company also reported net thrust gains of 10% to 17% over comparable single-pull propeller arrangements.
Steerprop said Arctic operating experience was a factor in the selection. The Finnish propulsion manufacturer has supplied systems for about one-third of the world’s icebreakers currently operating with azimuth propulsion.
The Arctic Security Cutters are part of the Coast Guard’s effort to expand its polar-capable fleet and will be constructed by Bollinger Shipyards under the service’s Arctic Security Cutter program.
