Coast Guard acquisitions called 'unaffordable'.

AuthorTadjdeh, Yasmin

* The Coast Guard has laid out an ambitious modernization and recapitalization plan for its future fleet of cutters and aircraft, but experts and government watchdogs have thrown cold water on it.

In a recent report, the Government Accountability Office said the chronically underfunded sea service's overall acquisition portfolio is unaffordable, particularly as it prepares to pay billions of dollars for the offshore patrol cutter--a vessel that is meant to replace aging 270-foot and 210-foot medium-endurance cutters.

"The OPC will absorb about two-thirds of the Coast Guard's acquisition funding between 2018 and 2032 while it is being built. As a result, remaining Coast Guard acquisition programs will have to compete for a small percentage of funding during this time," said Michele Mackin, director of acquisition and sourcing management at the GAO.

Adm. Paul Zukunft, commandant of the Coast Guard, has continually stressed that the procurement of the OPC--which is estimated to cost $12.1 billion--is his biggest priority. However, the program has suffered some setbacks.

"The Coast Guard currently plans to begin construction on the lead ship in fiscal year 2018--one year later than planned in its most recent program baseline--and deliver this ship in 2022," Mackin said in May in her prepared remarks to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's subcommittee on Coast Guard and maritime transportation. "The Coast Guard attributes the schedule delay to procurement delays, including a bid protest."

Last year, the service awarded three firm fixed-price contracts for the preliminary and contract design of the vessel to Bollinger Shipyards Lockport LLC, Eastern Shipbuilding Group Inc. and General Dynamics-Bath Iron Works. The Coast Guard will select a single vendor by the end of fiscal year 2016, officials have said.

Congress must help the Coast Guard meet its goal of 25 ships, James Offutt, president of the Navy League of the United States, testified.

"The highest acquisition, construction and improvement priority for the Coast Guard is to lay the groundwork for the construction of the offshore patrol cutter, which will replace cutters built in the '60s and '80s," he said. "The importance of the OPC cannot be overstated. It will function as a service operational workhorse to carry out the Coast Guard's primary missions over the next 40 years."

He called on Congress to fund the construction of two OPCs annually.

Getting the offshore...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT