The U.S. Coast Guard selected Bath Iron Works as one of three finalists for its Offshore Patrol Cutter program, which aims to build up to 25 ships for around $8.1 billion.
The Bath shipyard emerged from a field of eight bidders and will now compete with the Lockport, La.-based Bollinger Shipyards Inc. and the Panama City, Fla.-based Eastern Shipbuilding Group Inc. by submitting design proposals for the new Coast Guard vessels, according to Marine Log.
Each shipyard received around $22 million from the U.S. Coast Guard Tuesday for the preliminary and contract design services that will determine a final contract winner.