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Updated December 22, 2020
Coast Guard Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program:
Background and Issues for Congress
Introduction
Figure 1. Coast Guard River Buoy Tender (WLR)
The Coast Guard’s Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC)
program envisages procuring up to 35 replacements for the
Coast Guard’s 35 aging river buoy tenders (WLRs), inland
construction tenders (WLICs), and inland buoy tenders
(WLIs). The Coast Guard wants to award the first contract
for constructing the new WCCs in FY2022, and to have the
first new WCC be in service by 2025. The Coast Guard’s
proposed FY2021 budget requests $25.0 million in
procurement funding for the WCC program.
The issue for Congress is whether to approve, reject, or
modify the Coast Guard’s proposed acquisition strategy and
Source: Coast Guard photograph.
FY2021 funding request for the WCC program. Decisions
that Congress makes on this issue could affect Coast Guard
Geographic Distribution
capabilities and funding requirements, the U.S. shipbuilding
industry, and U.S. waterway commerce.
As of 2019, the 18 WLRs were based at cities along the
Mississippi and other inland rivers in Alabama, Arkansas,
Terminology
Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky (two cutters), Mississippi (three
cutters), Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and
Cutters are Coast Guard vessels that are more than 65 feet
long and have accommodations for a crew. (Coast Guard
Tennessee (four cutters). Although these locations are in the
vessels less than 65 feet long are called boats.) The term
central and eastern United States, the rivers in question are
referred to by the Coast Guard as the western rivers.
waterways refers here to the intra-coastal waterways along
the U.S. East and Gulf coasts, and U.S. inland waterways,
such as the Mississippi River. Tenders are vessels whose
As of 2019, the 13 WLICs were based at cities along the
U.S. East and Gulf coasts in Alabama, Florida (three
primary mission is to maintain or repair something. The
designations of Coast Guard tenders begin with WL,
cutters), Louisiana (two cutters), Maryland, North Carolina,
meaning Coast Guard vessel (W) and tender (L). (The W in
South Carolina, Texas (three cutters), and Virginia. As of
the acronym WCC, however, stands for waterways.)
2019, the four WLIs were based at locations in Alaska,
Michigan, Oregon, and North Carolina.
WCC Missions
Coast Guard Rationale for Building New
WCCs perform three primary missions under the Coast
WCCs
Guard’s statutory role of providing aids to navigation
(ATON): river buoy tending; inland construction tending
The Coast Guard wants to replace the 35 existing
waterways cutters because their annual maintenance costs
(which involves driving and removing piles and erecting
and repairing range towers and major lights); and inland
are rising rapidly, they break down frequently (and can
buoy tending. The waterborne commerce supported by
remain out of operation for periods of 30 to 45 days while
being repaired), and they have poor living conditions for
WCCs is important to the U.S. economy. Additional
missions for WCCs include ports, waterways, and coastal
their crew members. The Coast Guard argues that replacing
security (PWCS); search and rescue (SAR); marine
the aging cutters will be more cost effective than continuing
environmental protection; and marine safety.
to operate and maintain them.
Existing Waterways Cutters
WCC Program
The Coast Guard’s 35 existing WCCs (one of which is
Program Initiation and Name
shown in Figure 1), are built to nine different designs, and
include 18 WLRs, 13 WLICs, and four WLIs. As of 2020,
The WCC program was initiated in the Coast Guard’s
FY2018 budget submission. It was originally called the
the 35 vessels were an average of 56 years old, with the
oldest two being 76 and 75 years old, the youngest two
Inland Waterways and Western Rivers Tender (or Cutter)
being 30 years old, and the others 44 to 66 years old.
program. It was renamed the WCC program in the FY2019
budget submission. Some budget documents may continue
to use the program’s older name.
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Coast Guard Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
Acquisition Strategy
The Coast Guard is proposing to replace the 35 existing
waterway commerce cutters with 35 or fewer new WCCs,
The Coast Guard wants to award the WLR/WLIC contract
with the exact number depending on the capabilities of the
in FY2022. The WLR/WLIC acquisition is to be a small
new WCCs. The Coast Guard states that it
business set-aside. Large businesses could team with a
small business for the WLR/WLIC acquisition, but the
has taken steps to accelerate the WCC Program by
small business would need to be responsible for at least
more than a year, following direction in the FY
51% of the total cost of the contract. The Coast Guard is
2018 DHS [Department of Homeland Security]
still determining the WLI acquisition strategy. The winner
Appropriations Act (P.L. 115-141)…. On the basis
of the WLR/WLIC contract would be able to compete for
of market research, design studies, and an
the WLI contract as well.
independent analysis, the Coast Guard has
determined that three WCC variants will meet
The Coast Guard wants the first new WCC to enter service
mission needs best. Each variant will perform one
by 2025, and for all the WCCs to be in service by 2030. To
mission set (river buoy tending, inland construction,
meet this schedule, up to six WCCs might be procured each
year.
or inland buoy tending). The Coast Guard is
planning to acquire the WLRs and WLICs on one
Program Funding
contract; these variants are expected to be common
The WCC program through FY2020 has received $33.6
except for hull length, working deck layouts, and
million in procurement funding, which has been used for
deck equipment, including the crane…. The WLIs
studies and analyses of program requirements and
will be procured separately from the WLRs and
acquisition strategies, and for other program-management
WLICs. The Coast Guard is examining whether
activities. As mentioned earlier, the Coast Guard’s
commercial vessels will meet this variant’s top-
proposed FY2021 budget requests $25.0 million in
level requirements….
procurement funding for the program, which would be used
(U.S. Coast Guard, Inland Waterways and Western
for continued program-management activities.
River Tenders, Fiscal Year 2020 Report to
Recent Program Events
Congress, April 27, 2020, p. 4.)
On January 10, 2020, the Coast Guard released a request for
The Coast Guard states that the new WLRs are to be 170
information (RFI) for the prospective WLIs. On July 29,
feet to 180 feet long, the new WLICs are to be 150 feet to
2020, the Coast Guard released a draft request for proposal
160 feet long, and the new WLIs are to be 100 to 120 feet
(RFP) for the WLR/WLIC contract.
long (Figure 2). Vessels of this size can be built by smaller
U.S. shipyards. In 2018, the Commandant of the Coast
April 2020 Report to Congress
Guard stated that WCCs might have a notional unit
The Senate Appropriations Committee’s report (S.Rept.
procurement cost of roughly $25 million, but the WCCs’
116-125 of September 26, 2019) on the FY2020 DHS
estimated unit procurement costs may have changed since
appropriations act (S. 2582) directed the Coast Guard to
then.
provide an acquisition plan and requirements document
detailing the Coast Guard’s plans to acquire new WCCs.
Figure 2. Coast Guard Notional Designs for WLR,
The Coast Guard provided the information in the report
WLIC, and WLI
dated April 27, 2020, from which the earlier quote is taken.
Congressional Action on FY2021 Funding
Request
The final version of the FY2021 DHS appropriations act
(Division F of the final version of H.R. 133, the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021) approves the Coast
Guard’s request for $25.0 million in procurement funding
for the WCC program.
Ronald O'Rourke, Specialist in Naval Affairs
IF11672
Source: Coast Guard il ustration showing indicative (i.e., notional)
designs for the WLR (right), WLIC (middle), and WLI (left).
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Coast Guard Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
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