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Updated May 12, 2021
Coast Guard Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program:
Background and Issues for Congress
Introduction
cutters), Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and
The Coast Guard’s Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC)
Tennessee (four cutters). Although these locations are in the
program envisages procuring 30 replacements for the Coast
central and eastern United States, the rivers in question are
Guard’s 35 aging river buoy tenders (WLRs), inland
referred to by the Coast Guard as the western rivers.
construction tenders (WLICs), and inland buoy tenders
(WLIs). The Coast Guard wants to award the first contract
As of 2019, the 13 WLICs were based at cities along the
for constructing the new WCCs in FY2022, and to have the
U.S. East and Gulf coasts in Alabama, Florida (three
first new WCC be in service by 2025. The Coast Guard’s
cutters), Louisiana (two cutters), Maryland, North Carolina,
proposed FY2021 budget requested $25.0 million in
South Carolina, Texas (three cutters), and Virginia. As of
procurement funding for the WCC program; Congress, as
2019, the four WLIs were based at locations in Alaska,
part of its action on the Coast Guard’s FY2021 budget,
Michigan, Oregon, and North Carolina.
approved this request. The issue for Congress is whether to
approve, reject, or modify the Coast Guard’s proposed
Figure 1. Coast Guard River Buoy Tender (WLR)
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. (Those less than
65 feet long are called boats.) Waterways refers here to the
intra-coastal waterways along the U.S. East and Gulf
coasts, and to U.S. inland waterways such as the
Mississippi River. Tenders are vessels whose primary
mission is to maintain or repair something. Coast Guard
tender designations begin with WL, meaning Coast Guard
Source: Coast Guard photograph.
vessel (W) and tender (L). (The W in the acronym WCC,
however, stands for waterways.)
Rationale for Building New WCCs
The Coast Guard wants to replace the 35 existing
WCC Missions
waterways cutters because their annual maintenance costs
WCCs perform three primary missions under the Coast
are rising, they break down frequently, and most do not
Guard’s statutory role of providing aids to navigation
support mixed-gender berthing. The Coast Guard argues
(ATON): river buoy tending; inland construction tending
that replacing them will be more cost effective than
(which involves driving and removing piles and erecting
continuing to operate and maintain them.
and repairing range towers and major lights); and inland
buoy tending. WCCs are used for maintaining more than
WCC Program
28,200 marine aids to navigation on 12,000 miles of inland
waterways on which 630 million tons of cargo move each
Program Initiation and Name
year. Additional WCC missions include search and rescue
The WCC program was initiated in the Coast Guard’s
(SAR), marine safety, marine environmental protection, and
FY2018 budget submission. It was earlier called the Inland
ports, waterways and coastal security.
Waterways and Western Rivers Tender (or Cutter) program,
and some budget documents may continue to use that name.
Existing Waterways Cutters
The Coast Guard’s 35 existing WCCs (one of which is
Acquisition Strategy
shown in Figure 1), are built to nine different designs, and
The Coast Guard wants to replace the 35 existing waterway
include 18 WLRs, 13 WLICs, and four WLIs. As of 2020,
commerce cutters with 30 new WCCs, including 16 WLRs,
the 35 vessels were an average of 56 years old, with the
11 WLICs, and 3 WLIs. The Coast Guard wants the first
oldest two being 76 and 75 years old, the youngest two
new WCC to enter service by 2025, and for all the WCCs to
being 30 years old, and the others 44 to 66 years old.
be in service by 2030. The Coast Guard states that the WCC
program
Geographic Distribution
As of 2019, the 18 WLRs were based at cities along the
partnered with the [U.S. Navy’s] Naval Sea
Mississippi and other inland rivers in Alabama, Arkansas,
Systems Command to conduct an independent
Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky (two cutters), Mississippi (three
alternatives analysis to evaluate materiel and non-
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Coast Guard Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
materiel solutions to meet mission needs within cost
and schedule constraints. Additionally, the WCC
Program Funding
Program released nine requests for information to
The WCC program has received $58.6 million in
conduct market research and has conducted
procurement funding through FY2021.
engineering trade studies and design analysis,
including development of indicative designs.
Figure 3. Coast Guard Notional Designs for WLR,
WLIC, and WLI
Based on this analysis, the program has determined
that three WCC variants will best meet mission
needs. All three variants will be monohull ships,
meaning self-propelled cutters instead of tug and
barge configurations. The river buoy tender and
inland construction tender variants will be acquired
on one contract; these variants are expected to be
common except for hull length, working deck
layouts, and deck equipment, including the crane.
The inland buoy tender will be procured separately
from the other two variants.…
The WCC Program is working under an accelerated
program schedule to reach initial operational
capability by 2025…. Full operational capability
… is planned for 2030, although this date may
change based on Coast Guard capital investment
planning.
(U.S. Coast Guard, “Waterways Commerce
Cutter,” accessed May 12, 2021.)
Figure 2 and Figure 3 show notional Coast Guard designs
for the WCCs. Vessels of this size can be built by smaller
Source: Coast Guard illustration showing indicative (i.e., notional)
U.S. shipyards. In 2018, the Commandant of the Coast
designs for the WLR (top), WLIC (middle), and WLI (bottom).
Guard stated that WCCs might have a notional unit
procurement cost of roughly $25 million, but this figure
Request for Proposals (RFP)
may have changed since then.
On April 30, 2021, the Coast Guard released a request for
proposals (RFP) for the design and construction of an
The WLR/WLIC acquisition is to be a small business set-
estimated 27 WLRs and WLICs, with responses due by July
aside. Large businesses could team with a small business
30, 2021. The RFP is a small business concern set-aside
for the WLR/WLIC acquisition, but the small business
solicitation. The Coast Guard plans to award one Indefinite
would need to be responsible for at least 51% of the total
Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Fixed-Price (FP) with
cost of the contract. The winner of the WLR/WLIC contract
Economic Price Adjustment contract resulting from the
would be able to compete for the WLI contract as well.
solicitation. The Coast Guard anticipates awarding the
contract in early 2022.
Figure 2. Coast Guard Notional Designs for WLR,
WLIC, and WLI
Congressional Action on FY2021
Funding Request
The final version of the FY2021 DHS Appropriations Act
(Division F of H.R. 133/P.L. 116-260 of December 27,
2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021) approved
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 illustration 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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