The Texas Construction News staff writer
GALVESTON –Gov. Greg Abbott broke ground on a $1 billion modernization of Davie Defense’s Gulf Copper Shipyards in Galveston and Port Arthur, marking the return of major complex shipbuilding to the Texas Gulf Coast. The extensive facility upgrades will prepare the shipyards to construct Arctic Security Cutters for the U.S. Coast Guard, a critical component of the nation’s maritime defense strategy.
Davie Defense, which acquired the shipyards from Gulf Copper last year, was awarded a $3.5 billion Coast Guard contract to build five new icebreakers. Three of the vessels will be built in Texas, with the first phase of shipyard construction slated for completion in 2028.
The project is heavily incentivized by the state, supported by a $21.8 million Texas Enterprise Fund grant. It is projected to create 2,400 direct jobs and support roughly 7,000 jobs statewide across the supply chain.
The modernization comes at a crucial time for the Coast Guard, which is currently operating an aging icebreaker fleet. Expanding domestic shipbuilding capacity has been identified as a top national security priority to counter the expanding Arctic presence of near-peer adversaries like Russia and China.
“America cannot restore maritime strength without rebuilding its industrial capability,” said Philip Burns-O’Brien, president and CEO of Davie Defense and Gulf Copper. “Texas has the industrial foundation, talent and ambition to lead this renaissance.”
