The U.S. Coast Guard's ongoing effort to update its fleet of cutters and air vehicles over 20 years will not equip the service to perform both its traditional missions and responsibilities that have emerged since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, so claimed a recently issued RAND Corporation study. To obtain adequate assets, the Coast Guard needs to accelerate its planned purchases of cutters and air vehicles, and explore new platform options, emerging technologies and operational changes that would leverage the capabilities of its surface and air fleets, according to the RAND report. Such a two-pronged strategy may satisfy demand more quickly and at less cost than just expanding the Coast Guard's original modernization plan…