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Order Code RS21019
Updated May 12, 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. The Coast
Guard's proposed FY2006 budget requests $966 million for the program. On March 25,
2005, the Coast Guard submitted to Congress a revised implementation plan for the
program. Some Members of Congress have criticized the plan on several grounds. On
May 4, 2005, the Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee of the House
Appropriations Committee criticized the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the
Coast Guard's parent agency, for being insufficiently responsive to the subcommittee's
requests for comprehensive information on the Deepwater program. Because of this, the
subcommittee recommended reducing the program's FY2006 funding request to $500
million. The FY2006 DHS appropriations bill as reported by the House Appropriations
Committee on May 10, 2005 includes this recommended reduction. 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),
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/crsmthabaqs0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
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