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Updated April 12, 2022
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 WCC program
South Carolina, Texas (three cutters), and Virginia. As of
received $67.0 million in FY2022 procurement funding.
2019, the four WLIs were based at locations in Alaska,
The Coast Guard’s proposed FY2023 budget requests $77.0
Michigan, Oregon, and North Carolina.
million in procurement funding for the program. The issue
for Congress is whether to approve, reject, or modify the
Figure 1. Coast Guard River Buoy Tender (WLR)
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. (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 states in its FY2023 budget submission
WCC Missions
that it wants to replace the 35 existing waterways cutters
WCCs perform three primary missions under the Coast
with new WCCs because “[i]n addition to age concerns and
Guard’s statutory role of providing aids to navigation
the associated equipment obsolescence issues, the legacy
(ATON): river buoy tending; inland construction tending
fleet presents other sustainment challenges, including
(which involves driving and removing piles and erecting
hazardous materials stemming from the use of asbestos and
and repairing range towers and major lights); and inland
lead paint during construction of these assets. Outdated
buoy tending. WCCs are used for maintaining more than
technology and vessel designs have also led to crew safety
28,200 marine aids to navigation on 12,000 miles of inland
concerns, maintenance cost increases, and non-compliance
waterways on which 630 million tons of cargo move each
with environmental regulations. Finally, legacy vessel
year. Additional WCC missions include search and rescue
configuration does not allow the assignment of mixed
(SAR), marine safety, marine environmental protection, and
gender crews in accordance with the Coast Guard’s
ports, waterways, and coastal security.
workforce goals.”
Existing Waterways Cutters
WCC Program
The Coast Guard’s 35 existing WCCs (one of which is
shown in Figure 1), are built to nine different designs, and
Program Initiation and Name
include 18 WLRs, 13 WLICs, and 4 WLIs. As of 2020, the
The WCC program was initiated in the Coast Guard’s
35 vessels were an average of 56 years old, with the oldest
FY2018 budget submission. It was earlier called the Inland
two being 76 and 75 years old, the youngest two being 30
Waterways and Western Rivers Tender (or Cutter) program,
years old, and the others 44 to 66 years old.
and some budget documents may continue to use that name.
Geographic Distribution
Acquisition Strategy
As of 2019, the 18 WLRs were based at cities along the
The Coast Guard wants to replace the 35 existing waterway
Mississippi and other inland rivers in Alabama, Arkansas,
commerce cutters with 30 new WCCs, including 16 WLRs,
Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky (two cutters), Mississippi (three
11 WLICs, and 3 WLIs. The Coast Guard wants the first
cutters), Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and
new WCC to enter service by 2025, and for all the WCCs to
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Coast Guard Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
be in service by 2030. The Coast Guard states that the WCC
Figure 3. Coast Guard Notional Designs for WLR,
program
WLIC, and WLI
partnered with the [U.S. Navy’s] Naval Sea
Systems Command to conduct an independent
alternatives analysis to evaluate materiel and non-
materiel solutions to meet mission needs within cost
and schedule constraints. Additionally, the WCC
Program released nine requests for information to
conduct market research and has conducted
engineering trade studies and design analysis,
including development of indicative designs.
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.…
Source: Coast Guard il ustration showing indicative (i.e., notional)
The WCC Program is working under an accelerated
designs for the WLR (top), WLIC (middle), and WLI (bottom).
program schedule to reach initial operational
capability by 2025…. Full operational capability …
Request for Proposals (RFP)
is planned for 2030, although this date may change
On April 30, 2021, the Coast Guard released a request for
based on Coast Guard capital investment planning.
proposals (RFP) for the design and construction of an
(U.S. Coast Guard, “Waterways Commerce
estimated 27 WLRs and WLICs. Responses to the RFP
Cutter,” accessed May 12, 2021.)
were due by July 30, 2021. The RFP is a small business
concern set-aside solicitation. The Coast Guard plans to
Figure 2 and Figure 3 show notional Coast Guard designs
award one Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ)
for the WCCs. Vessels of this size can be built by smaller
Fixed-Price (FP) with Economic Price Adjustment contract
U.S. shipyards. The WLR/WLIC acquisition is to be a small
resulting from the solicitation. The Coast Guard anticipates
business set-aside. Large businesses can team with a small
awarding the contract in early 2022.
business for the WLR/WLIC acquisition, but the small
business would need to be responsible for at least 51% of
Request for Information (RFI) on Boats
the total cost of the contract. The winner of the WLR/WLIC
for WCCs
contract will be able to compete for the WLI contract as
On September 29, 2021, the Coast Guard released a request
well.
for information (RFI) for up to 56 boats that are to be
carried aboard the WCCs. Responses to the RFI were due
Figure 2. Coast Guard Notional Designs for WLR,
by November 1, 2021.
WLIC, and WLI
FY2023 Funding
The Coast Guard’s proposed FY2023 budget requests $77.0
million in procurement funding for the WCC program, to be
used for the detailed design and construction (DD&C)
contract of the initial articles of the WLR and WLIC.
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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