U.S. Coast Guard Procurement of Replacement Icebreaker

Various alternatives to expedite procurement of an icebreaker by the U.S. Coast Guard to replace the Westwind Icebreaker, which is becoming obsolete, were investigated. None of the alternatives examined appeared likely to reduce the time to award a contract for the icebreaker. The cost estimate developed by the Coast Guard during the initial planning phase appeared to be reasonable, and the estimating method was acceptable. However, the Coast Guard should provide a range of probable cost as well as the specific dollar estimate.