ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Coast Guard is requesting $13.1 billion for fiscal 2022, according to the service’s budget documents, just $38 million more than enacted in the 2021 budget.
The cutter procurement portion of the Coast Guard budget includes $1 billion for cutter construction and long-lead materials. The procurement includes:
- $170.0 million for program management for construction of Polar Security Cutter (PSC) hulls #1 and #2 and for long-lead materials for PSC #3
- $597.0 million for construction of Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) #4, detailed design for the re-compete contract for the OPC, and long-lead materials for OPC #5
- $67.0 million for the detail and design and construction of the Waterways Commerce Cutter
- $87.8 million for sustainment of numerous in-service cutters
- $78.0 million for post-delivery activities for National Security Cutters #10 and #11
- $20 million for program management of the Fast Response Cutter (FRC) program
- $15 million for the multi-year service-life extension of the USCGC Polar Star, the services only operational heavy icebreaker.
The Coast Guard also requested $221.8 million for aircraft procurement and modification:
- $102.8 million to continue life extension of the MH-60T helicopter fleet to serve into the 2030s and initial funding to expand the size of the fleet beyond 48 aircraft (through conversion of ex-Navy H-60 airframes)
- $66.5 million for continued missionization of C-27J medium-endurance surveillance aircraft into HC-27J versions
- $20.0 million for long-lead materials for HC-130J long-range surveillance aircraft in preparation of the transition of Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii, from the legacy HC-130H versions
- $32 million for modernization and sustainment of the MH-65 helicopters to extend their service life into the 2030s
- $0.5 million to continue funding installation of small unmanned aerial system capability into the National Security Cutters.
The Operations and Maintenance portion of the budget includes $92.5 million, which includes funding for:
- Crew and shore side support for the homeporting of the 10th NSC in Charleston, South Carolina
- Crews and support for six FRCs for Manama, Bahrain; St. Petersburg, Florida; Ketchikan, Alaska; and Boston, Massachusetts
- Crew, support, and facilities for OPCs at San Pedro, California
- Crew and support for three HC-130J aircraft at Air Station Barbers Point
- Support for a new C-27 long-range command-and-control aircraft in Washington, D.C.
- Support for a new air station in Ventura County, California
- Support for home-porting a medium-endurance cutter at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek, Virginia
- Support for the transition of Air Station New Orleans, Louisiana, from the MH-65 to the MH-60T helicopter
- Crew and support for the 49th MH-60T helicopter
- A third Cyber Protection Team.
The 2022 budget also plans for retiring five HC-130H aircraft (four at Barbers Pint and one in depot maintenance); decommissioning five 110-foot Island-class patrol boats; and decommissioning five 87-foot Marine Protector-class coastal patrol boats.
The 10 patrol boats are being replaced by FRCs.
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