Us Coast Guard Mission News

The U.S. Coast Guard’s mission of keeping the seas safe will soon get an additional boost from space with two polar satellites. The two satellites, called “cube satellites” or “cubesats” for their small size of about 60 square centimeters, or a little under 2 feet, will be part of a payload on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket scheduled to launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California Nov. 28. Although the Coast Guard has used satellite technology for years, these two are the first to be entirely dedicated to a Coast Guard mission. The initiative is part of the U.S.

The U.S. Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, chaired by U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), will hold a hearing next week on U.S. Coast Guard mission needs and a recently completed Government Accountability Office (GAO) review of how the Service allocates its resources.   The GAO report, entitled Coast Guard: Actions Needed to Improve Strategic Allocation of Assets and Determine Workforce Requirements, reviewed the extent to which the Coast Guard employs an effective process to strategically allocate assets to meet its mission responsibilities.  The release of the GAO report will coincide with Tuesday’s hearing.   The Subcommittee hearing, entitled, “Coast Guard Mission Needs and Resources Allocation,” is scheduled for Tuesday, June 14, 2016.

Exelis say they have received a $32 million, 5-year IDIQ (indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity) award to supply airborne surveillance radars, spares, support equipment and technical services to the U.S. Coast Guard. The company explains that integrated on the U.S. Coast Guard’s HC-130J Super Hercules long-range surveillance aircraft, the AN/APY-11 multimode radar is designed to support the service’s maritime reconnaissance mission, which includes long-range surveillance, search and rescue, drug interdiction, counterterrorism and maritime environmental support.

The United Seamen’s Service (USS) 2009 40th Annual Admiral of the Ocean Sea Awards (AOTOS) were presented to Donald Kurz, President and CEO of Keystone Shipping Co., headquartered in Philadelphia, and to Ronald Widdows, Group President and CEO of Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) of Singapore, parent company of American President Lines (APL). A Special AOTOS Award was also presented to The United States Coast Guard. The maritime industry’s most prestigious honors were awarded at a gala industry dinner and dance held at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers, New York City, on November 13, 2009.

A Greek citizen, Panagiotis Lekkas, the captain of the bulk cargo ship the M/V Theotokos, pleaded guilty to four felony counts in federal court in New Orleans for violating anti-pollution laws, ship safety laws and obstructing a U.S. Coast Guard investigation, the Justice Department announced. Additionally, a Philippine citizen, Charles P. Posas, the second highest officer onboard the M/V Theotokos, pleaded guilty to two felony counts of lying to the Coast Guard and violating recordkeeping laws aimed at reducing the risk of marine invasive species. Posas is the first individual ever charged under the anti-invasive species law, a law designed to mitigate the introduction of marine invasive species into waters of the United States.

The horrific attacks on 9-11, and the subsequent increase in maritime security required to protect against asymmetric maritime attacks, has dramatically changed the U. S. Coast Guard. They have changed the service's emphasis on port security as well as its ethos in the eyes of the nation it serves. Previously, the Coast Guard received national media attention mostly when it was involved in a dramatic at-sea rescue leaving a public perception of the service as lifesavers. Since 9-11, because of its port security efforts and its overall role in Homeland Security, the Coast Guard has received more national level public, political and media attention than at any other time in its long history and its public image is rapidly shifting from lifesaver to protector. Consider the following examples.