SEATTLE — The U.S. Coast Guard announced Wednesday that it will spend up to $137 million to modernize its Base Seattle to homeport new, larger Polar Security Cutters that will serve in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.
Phase one of the project calls for dredging a slip to accommodate the deeper Polar Security Cutter hulls. Two additional cutter berths will be built, giving the base a total of four large cutter berths.
Bellevue, Wash.-based Whiting-Turner Contracting will do the work.
The new Polar Security Cutters are designed to displace 23,000 tons, are 460 feet long and will carry crews of more than 150, according to Coast Guard estimates. They are designed for heavy icebreaking — with the ability to break up ice that is 6 feet thick — and can operate at sea for up to 90 days.
The first Polar Security Cutter, USCGC Polar Sentinel, is currently under construction at Bollinger in Pascagoula, Miss., and is scheduled to be completed by 2030. The Coast Guard plans presently to receive three of the Polar Security Cutters, at a total cost of $5 billion, according to a 2024 Congressional Budget Office report.
Seattle is already homeport for two of the Coast Guard's three icebreakers. The heavy icebreaker USCGC Polar Star and medium icebreaker USCGC Healy are in Seattle, while the recently obtained commercial medium icebreaker, renamed USCGC Storis, is homeported in Juneau, Alaska.
In addition to the berths, the first phase of the project includes upgrading facilities, utilities, demolition of an underutilized building and shoring up the waterfront along the Puget Sound.
The Coast Guard is still seeking to obtain all or part of Terminal 46 on Seattle Harbor, adjacent to Base Seattle. Development of the terminal would add about 1,000 square feet of waterfront area to the base, enabling expansion and renovation to operate additional cutters.
The Coast Guard has operated in the Puget Sound area from various harbors since the 19th century. In 1966, the Coast Guard acquired Pier 36 from the Army to consolidate most of its operations while maintaining support facilities scattered around the Puget Sound area.
Base Seattle supports more than 1,650 active duty & reserve Coast Guard personnel.
"As the only substantial military facility left in King County, Base Seattle also provides key support to over 30,000 local military retirees & family members from all of the armed services," the service says on its website.
© 2025 the Stars and Stripes. Visit www.stripes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
