Gaps, deficiencies, and the C4ISR solution

Sea Power,  Feb 2003  by Anderson, Michael,  Winterstine, Bruce

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An Integrated Coast Guard for the 21st Century

Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thomas H. Collins recently described how, prior to the events of 9/11, the Coast Guard's 20-year Integrated Deepwater System (IDS) recapitalization program promised a gradual, planned, and programmed roadmap for the Coast Guard's transformation well into the 21 st century. "Then the future arrived on September 11, 2001," the commandant said. "That changed everything."

Just as the Coast Guard's leading role in safeguarding U.S. maritime homeland security has led to a greatly increased tempo of operations in the nation's ports, waterways, and coastal areas-and in the open ocean-so too does the imperative for more modern and capable assets drive a growing appreciation for the importance of the Deepwater program to the Coast Guard's near- and long-term effectiveness. The modernization of the service's C4ISR (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) systems is a critical element in the Deepwater acquisition strategy.

Speaking to members of a military fraternal organization in Washington, D.C., in November, Collins said, "We must modernize our ships, boats, and aircraft, as well as our C4ISR systems that link them together. The need for our Integrated Deepwater System has been important for quite some time. It is now urgent."

Mindful of this urgency, the men and women on the Coast Guard-industry team who are responsible for the design, development, and acquisition of Deepwater's integrated C4ISR system recognize that its future capabilities will be vital both to the safeguarding of U.S. maritime homeland security and to the performance of the Coast Guard's numerous other missions.

Combat-Proven C2 Cutters Contrary to some misconceptions, Deepwater's assets-upgraded patrol boats, helicopters, aircraft, cutters, operations centers (OPCENs), and C4ISR systems-will operate across the entire U.S. maritime domain. Later in this decade, for example, a new Deepwater National Security Cutter or Offshore Patrol Cutter may be deployed hundreds of miles at sea to intercept and board a "high-interest" merchant ship far from U.S. shores. Later-capitalizing on the inherent mobility, endurance, and utility of naval forces-this same multimission cutter, outfitted with modern C4ISR systems, could be redeployed to serve as a command-and-control platform in a major U.S. port (as was demonstrated in New York City and nearly 20 other major U.S. ports on the East and West Coasts during the days, weeks, and months following 9/11).

As President Bush said during a visit to the Famous-class medium-endurance cutter USCGC Tahoma a year ago, "When it comes to securing our homeland, and helping people along the coast, the Coast Guard has a vital and significant mission."

In this sense, the delivery of a robust, modern Deepwater C4ISR system is of critical importance not just to the future of the Coast Guard, but also to U.S. national security in general.

Operational Necessity The operational requirement for a seamless C4ISR system appropriate to the Coast Guard's 21st-century networkcentric operations has been recognized for many years.

In comparison to the world's other naval forces, the average age of its cutters, 28 years, finds the Coast Guard ranked as the 37th oldest fleet in the world. Only two other naval fleets-- those of Mexico and the Philippines-- are older than the Coast Guard's. Most of its cutters are based on designs dating to the 1960s. Some, like the 60-yearold workhorse medium-endurance cutter USCGC Storis (still on station in Kodiak, Alaska), saw action during World War II! The situation is the same in Coast Guard aviation. It is not unusual to find Coast Guard aircraft older than the men and women who fly them.

This aging inventory of patrol boats, aircraft, helicopters, cutters, and C4ISR systems has generated growing concerns over the Coast Guard's ability to perform all of its assigned missions. The already difficult "capabilities gap" has been exacerbated not only by the growing demand for Coast Guard services in almost all of its other mission areas but also by the necessary profusion of highpriority homeland-security taskings since 9/11. A "new normalcy" characterized by an unusually high tempo of operations-evolved during the past year's war on terrorism.

During fiscal year 2000, the Coast Guard recorded 35,350 law-enforcement boardings. That number climbed to 37,162 boardings during fiscal year 2002. The continuing annual increases in the demand for Coast Guard services is not expected to reverse during the foreseeable future.

In addition, the growing technology gap reflects the difficulties in upgrading equipment and platforms that are, in some cases, more than 30 years old. The lack of effective radar systems hinders sensing, detection, and tracking of maritime vessels. Similarly, a paucity of electro-optical sensors (e.g., infrared systems) to provide long-range night vision hinders all mobile assets operating at night and/or in inclement weather.