Building a U.S. Coast Guard for the 21st Century - Center for ...

The upshot, according to GAO: “Acquisition decisions for certain assets are being
made without having completed some key acquisition documentation in light of
what the Coast Guard views as pressing operational needs.” 70
Poor acquisition and financial management leading to capacity deficits as
legacy assets are set to be decommissioned
Acquisition difficulties not only impact the cost of assets but, critically, their scheduled
delivery date, and thus the ability to replace legacy assets in order to maintain
operational capacity. As noted in the fiscal constraints section, as the service begins
decommissioning significant assets this year, delays in the scheduled delivery of
new vessels and aircraft meant to replace aging assets are leading to increased maintenance
costs for legacy assets, as well as operational capacity deficits.
Final asset delivery estimates for critical platforms such as the Medium Endurance
Cutter, National Security Cutter, and Maritime Patrol Aircraft are 17 months,
24 months, and 57 months behind their 2007 baseline estimates, respectively.
Meanwhile, delayed deployment of the service’s smaller projects such as small
boat projects and UAV programs reduces the intended short-term capabilities of
larger assets such as the NSCs. 71
Broader U.S. military procurement problems
Defense acquisition programs are inherently complex endeavors that involve a
multitude of actors to produce assets and manage their production and oversee
their financing, among other key functions. Such an environment creates opportunities
for fraud, waste, and abuse; inefficiencies and error abound as a result of
these complexities.
Lack of internal capacity to manage acquisition projects in the Coast Guard is not
merely a Coast Guard problem, but a problem shared by all the services themselves.
As a House Armed Services Committee Report noted in 2007:
Simply put, the Department of Defense acquisition process is broken. The ability of
the Department to conduct the large scale acquisitions required to ensure our future
national security is a concern of the committee. The rising costs and lengthening
35 Center for American Progress | Building a U.S. Coast Guard for the 21st Century
Acquisition
decisions for
certain assets
are being made
without having
completed some
key acquisition
documentation
in light of what
the Coast Guard
views as pressing
operational needs.