"The creation of the United Shipbuilding Alliance represents a significant evolution in America’s capacity to rapidly address urgent Arctic operational requirements," President and CEO of Edison Chouest Offshore Gary Chouest said in the press release.
A Coast Guard spokeswoman noted that being turned away from the Solomons "allowed for increased partnership with Papua New Guinea, supporting strategic objectives and strengthening regional relationships."
Knowing when to build on commercial systems and when to develop something new can be the difference between parity and information dominance.
Eastern Shipbuilding is escalating its efforts to overturn a $3.3 billion shipbuilding contract awarded by the Coast Guard earlier this year.
The Offshore Patrol Cutter is one of the Coast Guard's top acquisition priorities, on par with its heavy icebreakers.