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Order Code RS21019
Updated April 1, 2005
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Coast Guard Deepwater Program:
Background and Issues for Congress
Ronald O'Rourke
Specialist in National Defense
Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
Summary
The Deepwater program is a 20- to 25-year acquisition effort to replace or
modernize 93 aging Coast Guard ships and 207 aging Coast Guard aircraft. The
program's estimated total acquisition cost is $19 billion to $24 billion. On March 25,
2005 the Coast Guard submitted to Congress a revised implementation plan for the
program that alters the planned capabilities and numbers of Deepwater assets and the
schedule for acquiring or modernizing them. Some Members of Congress have
criticized the revised implementation plan. The Coast Guard's proposed FY2006 budget
requests $966 million for the program. This report will be updated as events warrant.
Background'
Introduction. The Coast Guard Deepwater program, known formally as the
Integrated Deepwater Systems (IDS) program, is a project to replace and modernize the
Coast Guard's aging fleet of deepwater-capable cutters, patrol boats and aircraft. It is the
largest and most complex acquisition program in Coast Guard history. The issue for
Congress is whether to approve, reject, or modify the Administration's funding requests
and overall approach for the program. Congress' decisions on this issue could affect
Coast Guard capabilities, Coast Guard funding requirements, and the U.S. shipbuilding
and aircraft industry.
Deepwater Missions. The Coast Guard performs a variety of missions in the
deepwater environment (which generally means waters more than 50 miles from shore),
including the following: drug interdiction, alien migrant interdiction, fisheries
enforcement, search and rescue, the International Ice Patrol in northern waters; overseas
maritime intercept (sanctions-enforcement) operations, overseas port security and defense,
overseas peacetime military engagement; general defense operations in conjunction with
the Navy; marine pollution law enforcement, enforcement of lightering (i.e., at-sea cargo-
transfer) zones, and overseas inspection of foreign vessels entering U.S. ports.
Congressional Research Service + The Library of Congress
1 For additional background information on the Deepwater program, see the program's Internet
page at [http://www.uscg.mil/deepwater/].](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.crs/crsmthabaqr0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
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