Press Releases
Hearing to Examine Coast Guard Program to Replace Aging Vessels & AircraftThe Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, chaired by U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), will hold a hearing next week on the status and sustainability of the U.S. Coast Guard’s current acquisition program. The Coast Guard began a process of recapitalizing its aging offshore vessels and aircraft in the late 1990s. The program’s focus was to replace those assets that carry out missions farther than 50 miles from shore and to modernize information technology systems that the Service relies upon to communicate, coordinate, and command its operations. Since then, the program has had successes, and brought highly capable new assets on line. However, the increasing operational costs of legacy assets, the future cost of the remaining program elements, and capital items for which no replacement plans have yet been developed are still of concern to the Subcommittee. Next week’s hearing will examine the progress and current and future issues related to the acquisitions program. The Subcommittee hearing, entitled, “Coast Guard Major Acquisitions,” is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 14, 2015 in 2253 Rayburn House Office Building. Witness List: More information about the hearing, including testimony, additional background information, and link to live webcast, will be posted here as it becomes available. # # # |