US Coast Guard awards $6.13m contract for 10 Great Lakes ice rescue boats

The US Coast Guard has awarded 1000 Island Airboats a contract worth up to $6.13 million for up to 10 second-generation ice-rescue transport craft for the Great Lakes. The initial $4.9 million order covers eight 25-foot boats, specialized transport trailers, operator training and technical data, with the first two deliveries expected in December 2026. The three-year, firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery contract replaces ageing aluminium-hulled craft at five stations in Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin. The manufacturer describes composite hulls with embedded flotation, polymer bottoms and hydraulic ice brakes, supporting winter rescue operations across ice and open water.