Gleanings and Musings, Courtesy of a Veteran Cold Warrior: Coast Guard could cut back operations without NSCs, says Papp

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Coast Guard could cut back operations without NSCs, says Papp

From Fierce Homeland Security:

Coast Guard could cut back operations without NSCs, says Papp

By David Perera

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The Coast Guard could be forced to cut back its anti-drug smuggling operations in the Pacific and Caribbean and curtail actions against illegal high seas drift net fishing boats if it does not receive funding for a seventh and eight National Security Cutter, service Commandant Adm. Robert Papp told a March 7 Senate panel.

The service is in the midst of an ongoing fleet recapitalization effort and steadfastly maintains that it needs at least eight NSCs. The Coast Guard fiscal 2013 budget request includes a $683 million proposal to build the sixth NSC, but subsequent-year procurement funding for the 4,550 long-ton displacement ships are listed as zero dollars.

Due to strictures of the Budget Control Act, "we're getting less money each year," Papp said. "Our acquisition budget was reduced by nearly 20 percent." He testified before the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation subcommittee on oceans, atmosphere, fisheries and the Coast Guard.

Eight NSCs continue to be the official target of the recapitalization program, but if the seventh and eighth NSCs don't soon receive funding, the service would first try to find money to extend the lifespan of some of the 12 legacy High Endurance Cutters the NSCs are meant to replace. That option is not ideal, Papp, said, since High Endurance Cutters are expensive to maintain; the last such cutter entered service in 1972. If there were no money for life extension, then operations would have to be cut back, Papp added.

Cutbacks would likely not affect the Coast Guard's presence in the Bearing Sea and Gulf of Alaska, he added, since "now we're down to almost the bare minimum in terms of our presence" there.

The Government Accountability Office is correct in stating that recapitalization costs are adding up to more than the $24.2 billion the service estimated in 2007 it would need to complete the effort, Papp also said. One reason for the increase, he said, is that annual funding falls short of what would be necessary to ensure that the service doesn't incur unnecessary additional costs by stretching the acquisition timeframe out.

"It's a Catch-22 situation. We come up with what we believe to be a baseline of the project, and while we're doing that...the project gets extended out over time, which increases the cost," he said.

The fiscal 2013 budget also includes an $8 million proposal to begin acquisition of a new polar icebreaker that would cost at least $860 million. Acquisition of an icebreaker--the Coast Guard has two currently, one set for decommissioning and the other being refurbished--has been a longstanding Coast Guard priority, Papp acknowledged.

For more:
- go to the hearing webpage (prepared testimony and webcast available)