Coast Guard modernization effort beset with problems

[Woodmonkey]

Coast Guard modernization effort beset with problems

Cost, design flaws plague program


WASHINGTON -- A multibillion-dollar effort to modernize the Coast Guard's fleet has suffered delays, cost increases, design flaws and, most recently, the idling of eight 123-foot patrol boats that were found to be not seaworthy after an $88 million refurbishment.

The sidelining of eight of 10 Miami-based cutters worsens a patrol-boat crisis while the Coast Guard is preparing for the exodus of Cubans that could happen when dictator Fidel Castro is no longer in power, Coast Guard leaders acknowledge.

More broadly, congressional critics warn that early mistakes in the 25-year modernization program -- the Coast Guard's largest contract ever -- are hobbling the service's transformation into a frontline homeland security force.

With the failure of the retrofitting program, eight of 49 boats in the service's workhorse fleet of Island-class patrol boats are out of action. Coast Guard leaders last year reported that only 25 percent of the aging cutters were fully "mission capable," because of maintenance problems and deployment of some boats to Iraq. In reports submitted to Congress, the Coast Guard projected that the fleet would be able to log about 80 percent of its targeted 98,200 operational hours a year.

Meanwhile, a Coast Guard plan to fill the gap by accelerating development of its next-generation cutter by 10 years has stalled because of technical problems.

House members tried to cut $121 million of the $1.1 billion appropriated this year for the $24 billion Deepwater modernization program, but the attempt was defeated by the program's defenders in the Senate. Citing plans for some of the replacement cutters to be built in Mississippi, critics said some decision making was influenced by Coast Guard attempts to curry favor with Senators Thad Cochran, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, and Trent Lott, incoming minority whip. Both are from Mississippi.

The program's failures are spelled out in a series of Government Accountability Office and Homeland Security Department inspector general reports and in congressional testimony, which point to the leeway given to the program's contractors, Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp. Through their joint venture, Integrated Coast Guard Systems, the companies declined to comment, referring all questions to the Coast Guard.

But congressional critics also are raising fresh complaints of rising costs and failed ships in one of the largest national security contracts awarded after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

"Over the last five years the Coast Guard procurement has been riddled with problems," said Representative David R. Obey, Democrat of Wisconsin and incoming chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. "Coast Guard needs to put in place a plan to fix this problem immediately."

"The big problem here is the boat doesn't work," said Senator Judd Gregg, Republican of New Hampshire and outgoing chairman of the Senate Appropriations homeland security subcommittee. "The people who manufactured these boats are going to have responsibility for their failure. . . . Someone's got to figure out who's responsible."

The Coast Guard has taken criticism of the program seriously and made significant improvements in the past few years, said Rear Admiral Gary Blore, head of the modernization program, which also includes Coast Guard aircraft. For example, the project that led to the sidelined patrol boats was approved without an independent review, which he said would not happen today.

"There is never a good time to not have enough patrol boats," Blore said. "I just regret that we haven't delivered an asset from when those management reforms were put in place," he said.

Deepwater, awarded in 2002 and modified in 2005, laid out an ambitious plan to modernize and greatly expand the size of the Coast Guard's aging fleet of ships, planes and helicopters, equipping the fleet with more modern technology in the process. The aim is to carry out expanded homeland security missions, including offshore patrols, port protection and vessel boarding and escorting duties.

This, the Coast Guard said will consume 68,500 operational hours a year for its Island cutters. In that time, Deepwater's cost grew from $17 billion to $24 billion.

Problems appeared in 2004, when the patrol boat Matagorda was fleeing Hurricane Ivan off Florida. The Island-class ship had just undergone an $11 million upgrade that included extending its hull from 110 feet to 123 feet.

Admiral Thomas Collins, then commandant of the Coast Guard, called it the "leading symbol of our service's transformation."

Soon after the hurricane, the Coast Guard found a six-inch crack in the deck and buckling in the hull.

The Coast Guard abandoned plans to overhaul 49 of its 110-foot boats. In 2005, eight vessels converted were prohibited from seas higher than eight feet.

Last month, the Coast Guard found new structural problems beneath the main engines of some ships -- a safety risk. All eight boats were pulled out of commission. Officials said they are now figuring out how to fix them, acknowledging that it will probably require more money.

To make matters worse, the proposed replacement ships for those cutters have also run into technical problems.

The 140-foot fast response cutter is meant to be speedier and tougher than its predecessor, but questions have emerged about the composition and design of its hull.

House Democrats have discussed exerting more control over Deepwater projects. But Gregg said the answer was more money to accelerate Deepwater, not less. "My view is, we're going to spend what it takes to get the nation up to speed," he said.

The Source

[ollie]

Sad part is that this is not a new phenomenon. In 1967 when the first 378's were delivered to the fleet (they are now sarcastically called legacy cutters). They developed cracks in their flight decks and bulkheads almost immediately. The retirement of cutters built in the 1930's had to be put off in order for the 378's to be strengthened.

Everything old is new again.

Bill

USCG 1967-71