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Updated March 4, 2021
Coast Guard Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program:
Background and Issues for Congress
Introduction
Tennessee (four cutters). Although these locations are in the
The Coast Guard’s Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC)
central and eastern United States, the rivers in question are
program envisages procuring 30 replacements for the Coast
referred to by the Coast Guard as the western rivers.
Guard’s 35 aging river buoy tenders (WLRs), inland
construction tenders (WLICs), and inland buoy tenders
As of 2019, the 13 WLICs were based at cities along the
(WLIs). The Coast Guard wants to award the first contract
U.S. East and Gulf coasts in Alabama, Florida (three
for constructing the new WCCs in FY2022, and to have the
cutters), Louisiana (two cutters), Maryland, North Carolina,
first new WCC be in service by 2025. The Coast Guard’s
South Carolina, Texas (three cutters), and Virginia. As of
proposed FY2021 budget requested $25.0 million in
2019, the four WLIs were based at locations in Alaska,
procurement funding for the WCC program; Congress, as
Michigan, Oregon, and North Carolina.
part of its action on the Coast Guard’s FY2021 budget,
approved this request. The issue for Congress is whether to
Figure 1. Coast Guard River Buoy Tender (WLR)
approve, reject, or modify the Coast Guard’s proposed
acquisition strategy and funding requests for the WCC
program.
Terminology
Cutters are Coast Guard vessels that are more than 65 feet
long and have accommodations for a crew. (Coast Guard
vessels less than 65 feet long are called boats.) The term
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
primary mission is to maintain or repair something. The
Source: Coast Guard photograph.
designations of Coast Guard tenders begin with WL,
meaning Coast Guard vessel (W) and tender (L). (The W in
Coast Guard Rationale for Building New
the acronym WCC, however, stands for waterways.)
WCCs
WCC Missions
The Coast Guard wants to replace the 35 existing
WCCs perform three primary missions under the Coast
waterways cutters because their annual maintenance costs
Guard’s statutory role of providing aids to navigation
are rising rapidly, they break down frequently (and can
remain out of operation for periods of 30 to 45 days while
(ATON): river buoy tending; inland construction tending
(which involves driving and removing piles and erecting
being repaired), and they have poor living conditions for
and repairing range towers and major lights); and inland
their crew members. The Coast Guard argues that replacing
the aging cutters will be more cost effective than continuing
buoy tending. The waterborne commerce supported by
to operate and maintain them.
WCCs is important to the U.S. economy. Additional
missions for WCCs include ports, waterways, and coastal
WCC Program
security (PWCS); search and rescue (SAR); marine
environmental protection; and marine safety.
Program Initiation and Name
Existing Waterways Cutters
The WCC program was initiated in the Coast Guard’s
The Coast Guard’s 35 existing WCCs (one of which is
FY2018 budget submission. It was originally called the
shown in Figure 1), are built to nine different designs, and
Inland Waterways and Western Rivers Tender (or Cutter)
program. It was renamed the WCC program in the FY2019
include 18 WLRs, 13 WLICs, and four WLIs. As of 2020,
the 35 vessels were an average of 56 years old, with the
budget submission. Some budget documents may continue
to use the program’s older name.
oldest two being 76 and 75 years old, the youngest two
being 30 years old, and the others 44 to 66 years old.
Acquisition Strategy
Geographic Distribution
The Coast Guard wants to replace the 35 existing waterway
commerce cutters with 30 new WCCs, including 16 WLRs,
As of 2019, the 18 WLRs were based at cities along the
11 WLICs, and 3 WLIs. The Coast Guard states that it
Mississippi and other inland rivers in Alabama, Arkansas,
Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky (two cutters), Mississippi (three
cutters), Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and
has taken steps to accelerate the WCC Program by
more than a year, following direction in the FY
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Coast Guard Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
2018 DHS [Department of Homeland Security]
Figure 3. Coast Guard Notional Designs for WLR,
Appropriations Act (P.L. 115-141)…. On the basis
WLIC, and WLI
of market research, design studies, and an
independent analysis, the Coast Guard has
determined that three WCC variants will meet
mission needs best. Each variant will perform one
mission set (river buoy tending, inland construction,
or inland buoy tending). The Coast Guard is
planning to acquire the WLRs and WLICs on one
contract; these variants are expected to be common
except for hull length, working deck layouts, and
deck equipment, including the crane…. The WLIs
will be procured separately from the WLRs and
WLICs. The Coast Guard is examining whether
commercial vessels will meet this variant’s top-
level requirements….
(U.S. Coast Guard, Inland Waterways and Western
River Tenders, Fiscal Year 2020 Report to
Congress, April 27, 2020, p. 4.)
Figure 2 and Figure 3 show notional Coast Guard designs
for the WCCs. Vessels of this size can be built by smaller
U.S. shipyards. In 2018, the Commandant of the Coast
Guard stated that WCCs might have a notional unit
procurement cost of roughly $25 million, but this figure
Source: Coast Guard il ustration showing indicative (i.e., notional)
may have changed since then.
designs for the WLR (right), WLIC (middle), and WLI (left).
Figure 2. Coast Guard Notional Designs for WLR,
WLIC, and WLI
Program Funding
The WCC program through FY2021 has received $58.6
million in procurement funding. As mentioned earlier, the
Coast Guard’s proposed FY2021 budget requested $25.0
million in procurement funding for the WCC program;
Congress, as part of its action on the Coast Guard’s FY2021
budget, approved this request.
Recent Program Events
On January 10, 2020, the Coast Guard released a request for
information (RFI) for the prospective WLIs. On July 29,
2020, the Coast Guard released a draft request for proposal
(RFP) for the WLR/WLIC contract.
Source: Coast Guard il ustration showing indicative (i.e., notional)
designs for the WLR (right), WLIC (middle), and WLI (left).
April 2020 Report to Congress
The Senate Appropriations Committee’s report (S.Rept.
116-125 of September 26, 2019) on the FY2020 DHS
The Coast Guard wants to award the WLR/WLIC contract
appropriations act (S. 2582) directed the Coast Guard to
in FY2022. The WLR/WLIC acquisition is to be a small
provide an acquisition plan and requirements document
business set-aside. Large businesses could team with a
detailing the Coast Guard’s plans to acquire new WCCs.
small business for the WLR/WLIC acquisition, but the
The Coast Guard provided the information in the report
small business would need to be responsible for at least
dated April 27, 2020, from which the earlier quote is taken.
51% of the total cost of the contract. The Coast Guard is
Congressional Action on FY2021
still determining the WLI acquisition strategy. The winner
Funding Request
of the WLR/WLIC contract would be able to compete for
the WLI contract as well.
The final version of the FY2021 DHS Appropriations Act
(Division F of H.R. 133/P.L. 116-260 of December 27,
The Coast Guard wants the first new WCC to enter service
2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021) approved
by 2025, and for all the WCCs to be in service by 2030. To
the Coast Guard’s request for $25.0 million in procurement
meet this schedule, up to six WCCs might be procured each
funding for the WCC program.
year.
Ronald O'Rourke, Specialist in Naval Affairs
IF11672
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Coast Guard Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
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