No longer in service but I am an old icebreaker sailor. Reading some of the articles about icebreakers and building icebreakers. From what i have figured out about the US building an icebreaker, the “paper” involved weighs more than the ship. But if we buy from “overseas” what kind of supply issues would we have as far as maintenance, repair parts, supply issues to keep her sailing? This is a good read. And while I focus on icebreakers, these issues plague all ships yards are “attempting” to build. What say you?
How much of the design, machinery and other equipment do you think will actually be manufactured in the US?
Maybe even most of the special steel for the hull will probably be imported.(??)
It would probably be a lot cheaper, faster and better for the USCG to work out the basic specification and their special requirements, then select a few foreign yards to invite to submit their designs and bid for construction.
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I’m fairly sure they are producing EH36 grade shipbuilding steel in the United States.
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Several years ago, the company I worked for had to do a major overhaul on one of our machines. Many, many gears and sprockets had to be machined. I was talking to the contractor that made the new parts about “imports” and he said he used only US steel. He said he could have saved money and boosted his profits for the job by using imported steel but imported steel couldn’t be depended on to be up to the correct “standards”. But he could trust US steel to be exactly what it was rated. And of course, I am thinking about the “counterfeit” nuts and bolts that have flooded the US market over the years.
IF the imported steel will come from a “trusted source”. Meaning “not oriental” for lack of a better term. 
So Japan and South Korea is out than?
Thanks for that.
Yes it appears that EH36 steel quality is made in the US:
I was of the impression that even more high spec steel was needed for heavy icebreakers, like specially grade Arctic D steel, but I bow to your expertise.