
Contrary to a Coast Guard study that calls for a fleet of six polar icebreakers evenly divided between heavy and medium variants, the National Academies of Science on Tuesday released a report recommending that the service operate four heavy polar icebreakers base on a common design, which offers the lowest cost strategyProceeding with a single class means that only one design will be needed, which will provide cost savings,” says the report, which was prepared at the behest of Congress.…