
The increasing costs of goods, in particular steel, is adding substantial costs to the Coast Guard’s shipbuilding and operations and threatens the procurement of one of two additional planned fast response cutters funded in fiscal year 2022, the service’s top official said on Thursday. “Historic inflation” has increased the price of steel for shipbuilding by 48 percent in the past year, added 20 percent to fuel costs with a further increase coming, and certain parts to maintain medium endurance cutters…