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Updated March 23, 2023
Coast Guard Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program:
Background and Issues for Congress
Introduction
central and eastern United States, the rivers in question are
The Coast Guard’s Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC)
referred to by the Coast Guard as the western rivers.
program envisages procuring 30 replacements for the Coast
Guard’s 35 aging river buoy tenders (WLRs), inland
As of 2019, the 13 WLICs were based at cities along the
construction tenders (WLICs), and inland buoy tenders
U.S. East and Gulf coasts in Alabama, Florida (three
(WLIs). The Coast Guard wants to have the first new WCC
cutters), Louisiana (two cutters), Maryland, North Carolina,
be in service by 2025. On October 5, 2022, the Coast Guard
South Carolina, Texas (three cutters), and Virginia. As of
awarded a contract to Birdon America, Inc. of Denver, CO,
2019, the four WLIs were based at locations in Alaska,
to build up to 16 WLRs and 11 WLICs The Coast Guard’s
Michigan, Oregon, and North Carolina.
proposed FY2024 budget requests $98.0 million in
procurement funding for the WCC program. The issue for
Figure 1. Coast Guard River Buoy Tender (WLR)
Congress is whether to approve, reject, or modify the Coast
Guard’s proposed acquisition strategy and funding requests
for the 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
Source: Coast Guard photograph.
tender designations begin with WL, meaning Coast Guard
vessel (W) and tender (L). (The W in the acronym WCC,
Rationale for Building New WCCs
however, stands for waterways.)
The Coast Guard states in its FY2024 budget submission
that it wants to replace the 35 existing waterways cutters
WCC Missions
with new WCCs because “[i]n addition to age concerns and
WCCs perform three primary missions under the Coast
the associated equipment obsolescence issues, the legacy
Guard’s statutory role of providing aids to navigation
fleet presents other sustainment challenges, including
(ATON): river buoy tending; inland construction tending
hazardous materials stemming from the use of asbestos and
(which involves driving and removing piles and erecting
lead paint during construction of these assets. Outdated
and repairing range towers and major lights); and inland
technology and vessel designs have also led to crew safety
buoy tending. WCCs are used for maintaining more than
concerns, maintenance cost increases, and non-compliance
28,200 marine aids to navigation on 12,000 miles of inland
with environmental regulations. Finally, legacy vessel
waterways on which 630 million tons of cargo move each
configuration does not allow the assignment of mixed
year. Additional WCC missions include search and rescue
gender crews in accordance with the Coast Guard’s
(SAR), marine safety, marine environmental protection, and
workforce goals.”
ports, waterways, and coastal security.
WCC Program
Existing Waterways Cutters
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
The WCC program was initiated in the Coast Guard’s
include 18 WLRs, 13 WLICs, and 4 WLIs. As of 2022, the
FY2018 budget submission. It was earlier called the Inland
35 vessels were an average of 57 years old.
Waterways and Western Rivers Tender (or Cutter) program.
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 states that the
cutters), Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and
WCC program
Tennessee (four cutters). Although these locations are in the
partnered with the [U.S. Navy’s] Naval Sea
Systems Command to conduct an independent
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Coast Guard Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
alternatives analysis to evaluate materiel and non-
today awarded Birdon America, Inc. of Denver, an
materiel solutions to meet mission needs within cost
indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity firm fixed
and schedule constraints. Additionally, the WCC
price contract with economic price adjustments for
Program released 11 requests for information to
the detail design and construction of its river buoy
conduct market research and conducted engineering
and inland construction tenders. The initial award is
trade studies and design analysis, including
worth $28.49 million. The contract includes options
development of indicative designs.
for the construction of a total of 16 river buoy
tenders [WLRs] and 11 inland construction tenders
Based on this analysis, the program determined that
[WLICs]. If all contract line items are exercised, the
three WCC variants will best meet mission needs.
total contract value is estimated at $1.19 billion.
All three variants will be monohull ships, meaning
self-propelled cutters instead of tug and barge
A total contract value of $1.19 billion for 27 WLRs and
configurations. The River Buoy Tender and Inland
WLICs equates to an average cost of about $44.1 million
Construction Tender variants will be acquired on
each.
one contract; these variants will maximize
commonality with notable exceptions for hull
Figure 3. Coast Guard Notional Designs for WLR,
length, working deck layout, and deck equipment,
WLIC, and WLI
including the crane.
The Inland Buoy Tender will be acquired separately
from the other two variants. In June 2021, the WCC
Program began partnering with the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers Marine Design Center, which
has experience with similar acquisitions, to develop
a Government-led design for the Inland Buoy
Tender variant. The Inland Buoy Tender will be
contractor-built.
(U.S. Coast Guard, “Waterways Commerce
Cutter,” accessed March 23, 2023.)
Figure 2 and Figure 3 show renderings of WCCs. The
winner of the WLR/WLIC contract (see below) will be able
to compete for the WLI contract.
Figure 2. Notional Rendering of WLIC and WLR
Source: Coast Guard il ustration showing indicative (i.e., notional)
designs for the WLI (top), WLIC (middle), and WLR (bottom),
shown at U.S. Coast Guard, “Waterways Commerce Cutter,”
accessed March 23, 2023.
September 2021 Request for Information
(RFI) on Boats for WCCs
On September 29, 2021, the Coast Guard released a request
for information (RFI) for up to 56 boats that are to be
carried aboard the WCCs. Responses to the RFI were due
by November 1, 2021.
FY2024 Funding
Source: Notional vendor rendering of WLIC (left) and WLR (right),
The Coast Guard’s proposed FY2024 budget requests $98.0
shown at U.S. Coast Guard, “Waterways Commerce Cutter,”
million in procurement funding for the WCC program, to be
accessed March 23, 2023.
used for commencing production of WLIC #1 and WLR #1;
April 2021 Request for Proposals (RFP)
procuring long leadtime materials (LLTM) for WLIC #2
and WLR #2; continuing development of the government-
On April 30, 2021, the Coast Guard released a request for
led design for the WLI; finalizing the RFP for the WLI
proposals (RFP) for the design and construction of an
procurement; and other program activities.
estimated 27 WLRs and WLICs. Responses to the RFP
were due by July 30, 2021.
Ronald O'Rourke, Specialist in Naval Affairs
October 2022 Contract Award
IF11672
On October 5, 2022, the Coast Guard announced that it had
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Coast Guard Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
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