John F. Schank

The U.S. Coast Guard's Deepwater Force Modernization Plan. Can it be Accelerated? Will it Meet Changing Security Needs

Abstract : In November 2002, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) commissioned the RAND Corporation to assess its Deepwater program, an effort the USCG is undertaking to slowly, but steadily, replace or modernize nearly 100 aging cutters and more than 200 aircraft over the next 20 years. Known more formally as the Integrated Deepwater System program, this endeavor aims to equip the USCG with state-of-the-art cutters, aircraft, helicopters, and unmanned air vehicles. All of its activities will be orchestrated through an integrated Command, Control, Communications, Computing, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) system and an Integrated Logistics System (ILS). The program, the largest and most complex acquisition effort in USCG history, was originally designed to maintain the status quo at the USCG as it pursues its traditional missions as part of its roles of maritime security, maritime safety, protection of natural resources, maritime mobility, and national defense. RANDs research is intended to help USCG decisionmakers evaluate whether the Deepwater program which was conceived and put in motion before the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and before the USCGs subsequent transfer into the newly created Department of Homeland Security remains valid for the new and evolving responsibilities and missions that the USCG has been asked to shoulder. The events of September 11 gave new urgency to accelerating asset acquisition (Biesecker, 2004). RAND was asked to evaluate whether the current Deepwater acquisition plan will provide the USCG with an adequate number and array of cutters, aircraft, and other assets to meet changing operational demands.