USCGC Polar Star (WAGB-10)

History
United States
Name:	USCGC Polar Star
Builder:	Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company, Seattle, Washington
Commissioned:	1976
Refit:	Vigor Industrial shipyard, Seattle, Washington (March 2010-December 2012)
Identification:	WAGB-10
Nickname(s):	Building 10, Polar Spare, Brand X, Wide Ass Government Building, Red Tubs of Fun
Status:	Reactivated (March 11, 2010)
General characteristics
Class and type:	Polar-class icebreaker
Displacement:	10,863 long tons (11,037 t) (standard) 13,623 long tons (13,842 t) (full)
Length:	399 ft (122 m)
Beam:	83 ft 6 in (25.45 m)
Draft:	31 ft (9.4 m)
Installed power:	Six Alco 16V-251F diesel engines (6 × 3,000 hp (2,200 kW)) Three Pratt & Whitney FT-4A12 gas turbines (3 × 25,000 hp (19,000 kW))
Propulsion:	Combined diesel-electric or gas (CODLOG) Three shafts; controllable-pitch propellers
Speed:	18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) 3 knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph) in 6-foot (1.8 m) ice
Range:	16,000 nautical miles (30,000 km; 18,000 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) 28,275 nautical miles (52,365 km; 32,538 mi) at 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph)
Complement:	15 officers 127 enlisted 33 scientists 12-person helicopter detachment
Armament:	2 × .50 caliber machine guns Various small arms
Aircraft carried:	2 HH-65A Dolphin helicopters

USCGC Polar Star (WAGB-10) is a United States Coast Guard heavy icebreaker. Commissioned in 1976, the ship was built by Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company of Seattle, Washington along with her sister ship, USCGC Polar Sea.

Homeported in Seattle, Polar Star operates under the control of Pacific Area and coordinates its operations through the Ice Operations Section of the United States Coast Guard. After the Polar Sea was deactivated in 2010, the Polar Star became the US's only heavy icebreaker. Its current commanding officer is Captain Michael Davanzo.

Polar Star uses four different methods of electronic navigation to overcome the difficulties of high-latitude operations, and a computerized propulsion control system to effectively manage six diesel-powered propulsion generators, three diesel-powered ship's service generators, three propulsion gas turbines, and other equipment vital to the smooth operation of the ship. The extensive use of automation and low maintenance materials have greatly reduced staffing requirements.

Polar Star's three shafts are turned by either a diesel-electric or gas turbine prime mover. Each shaft is connected to a 16-foot (4.9 m) diameter, four-bladed, controllable-pitch propeller. The diesel-electric plant can produce 18,000 shaft horsepower (13 MW), and the gas turbine plant a total of 75,000 shaft horsepower (56 MW).

...
Wikipedia