Jeudi

by Chase Lowenstein

The Avondale Shipyard is downsizing, but a new federal score down in Lafourche Parish will keep apporximately 800 jobs in the area. A new appropriation of $250 million in federal money will be funded to Bollinger Shipyards in Lockport, according to Sen. Mary Landrieu's office. The shipyard will be building 6 Fast Response Cutters (FRCs) for the U.S. Coast Guard in order to ensure security around our naval borders.

FRCs are extremely fast, agile vessels that measure over 150ft in length. "These exceptional ships will replace a portion of the Coast Guard’s aging patrol boat fleet and ensure its ability to carry out critical lifesaving, law enforcement, and homeland security missions for decades to come,” says Senator Landrieu. 

Bollinger Shipyard Chairman, President, and CEO Boysie Bollinger said in a press release that Landrieu used her influence as chair of the Homeland Security Apporpriations Subcommitee to secure the funding. Bollinger thanked the senator profusely as well as saying, "Bollinger Shipyard is proud to contribute to our country’s safety and security by building these six Fast Response Cutters for the Coast Guard.”

The decision to build six ships not only creates jobs, but makes financial sense. It takes 6 ships to fill the production line and doing so saves about $5 million per ship. So far 18 Coast Guard FRCs have been funded and eventually Federal Officials would like to acquire 58. in 2013 another six FRC's are included in the state budget, despite the President's request for just two.

This project was just a fraction of the $8.9 billion discrectionary funding allocated to the Coast Guard in the 2012 budget. Once completed, the Fast Response Cutters will be homeported in San Juan, Puerto Rico.