Updated April 24, 2023
Coast Guard Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program:
Background and Issues for Congress
Introduction
As of 2019, the 13 WLICs were based at cities along the
The Coast Guard’s Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC)
U.S. East and Gulf coasts in Alabama, Florida (three
program envisages procuring 30 replacements for the Coast
cutters), Louisiana (two cutters), Maryland, North Carolina,
Guard’s 35 aging river buoy tenders (WLRs), inland
South Carolina, Texas (three cutters), and Virginia. As of
construction tenders (WLICs), and inland buoy tenders
2019, the four WLIs were based at locations in Alaska,
(WLIs). The Coast Guard wants to have the first new WCC
Michigan, Oregon, and North Carolina.
be in service by 2025. On October 5, 2022, the Coast Guard
awarded a contract to Birdon America, Inc. of Denver, CO,
Rationale for Building New WCCs
to build up to 16 WLRs and 11 WLICs. The Coast Guard’s
The Coast Guard states in its FY2024 budget submission
proposed FY2024 budget requests $98.0 million in
that it wants to replace the 35 existing waterways cutters
procurement funding for the WCC program.
with new WCCs because “[i]n addition to age concerns and
the associated equipment obsolescence issues, the legacy
Terminology
fleet presents other sustainment challenges, including
Cutters are Coast Guard vessels that are more than 65 feet
hazardous materials stemming from the use of asbestos and
long and have accommodations for a crew. (Those less than
lead paint during construction of these assets. Outdated
65 feet long are called boats.) Waterways refers here to the
technology and vessel designs have also led to crew safety
intra-coastal waterways along the U.S. East and Gulf
concerns, maintenance cost increases, and non-compliance
coasts, and to U.S. inland waterways such as the
with environmental regulations. Finally, legacy vessel
Mississippi River. Tenders are vessels whose primary
configuration does not allow the assignment of mixed
mission is to maintain or repair something. Coast Guard
gender crews in accordance with the Coast Guard’s
tender designations begin with WL, meaning Coast Guard
workforce goals.”
vessel (W) and tender (L). (The W in the acronym WCC,
however, stands for waterways.)
WCC Program
WCC Missions
Program Initiation and Name
WCCs perform three primary missions under the Coast
The WCC program was initiated in the Coast Guard’s
Guard’s statutory role of providing aids to navigation
FY2018 budget submission. It was earlier called the Inland
(ATON): river buoy tending; inland construction tending
Waterways and Western Rivers Tender (or Cutter) program.
(which involves driving and removing piles and erecting
and repairing range towers and major lights); and inland
Acquisition Strategy
buoy tending. WCCs are used for maintaining more than
The Coast Guard wants to replace the 35 existing waterway
28,200 marine aids to navigation on 12,000 miles of inland
commerce cutters with 30 new WCCs, including 16 WLRs,
waterways on which 630 million tons of cargo move each
11 WLICs, and 3 WLIs. The Coast Guard states that the
year. Additional WCC missions include search and rescue
WCC program
(SAR), marine safety, marine environmental protection, and
determined that three WCC variants will best meet
ports, waterways, and coastal security.
mission needs. All three variants will be monohull
Existing Waterways Cutters
ships, meaning self-propelled cutters instead of tug
The Coast Guard’s 35 existing WCCs are built to nine
and barge configurations. The River Buoy Tender
different designs, and include 18 WLRs, 13 WLICs, and 4
[WLR] and Inland Construction Tender [WLIC]
WLIs. As of 2022, the 35 vessels were an average of 57
variants will be acquired on one contract; these
years old.
variants will maximize commonality with notable
exceptions for hull length, working deck layout, and
Geographic Distribution
deck equipment, including the crane.
As of 2019, the 18 WLRs were based at cities along the
The Inland Buoy Tender will be acquired separately
Mississippi and other inland rivers in Alabama, Arkansas,
from the other two variants. In June 2021, the WCC
Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky (two cutters), Mississippi (three
cutters), Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and
Program began partnering with the U.S. Army
Tennessee (four cutters). Although these locations are in the
Corps of Engineers Marine Design Center, which
central and eastern United States, the rivers in question are
has experience with similar acquisitions, to develop
referred to by the Coast Guard as the western rivers.
a Government-led design for the Inland Buoy
Tender variant. The Inland Buoy Tender will be
contractor-built.
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Coast Guard Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
(U.S. Coast Guard, “Waterways Commerce
estimated 27 WLRs and WLICs. Responses to the RFP
Cutter,” accessed March 23, 2023.)
were due by July 30, 2021.
Figure 1 and Figure 2 show renderings of WCCs. The
October 2022 Contract Award
winner of the WLR/WLIC contract (see below) will be able
On October 5, 2022, the Coast Guard announced that it had
to compete for the WLI contract.
today awarded Birdon America, Inc. of Denver, an
Figure 1. Notional Rendering of WLIC and WLR
indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity firm fixed
price contract with economic price adjustments for
the detail design and construction of its river buoy
and inland construction tenders [WLRs and
WLICs]. The initial award is worth $28.49 million.
The contract includes options for the construction
of a total of 16 river buoy tenders [WLRs] and 11
inland construction tenders [WLICs]. If all contract
line items are exercised, the total contract value is
estimated at $1.19 billion.
A total contract value of $1.19 billion for 27 WLRs and

WLICs equates to an average cost of about $44.1 million
Source: Notional vendor rendering of WLIC (left) and WLR (right),
each.
shown at U.S. Coast Guard, “Waterways Commerce Cutter,”
accessed March 23, 2023.
April 2023 GAO Report
The April 2023 GAO report states
Figure 2. Coast Guard Notional Designs for WLR,
WLIC, and WLI
The contract award for the detailed design and
construction contract for segment 1 [for the
procurement of the WLRs and WLICs] and the
acquisition decision event (ADE) 2B milestone
have been delayed following a pre-award challenge.
ADE 2B was planned to be achieved by June 2023.
The program’s June 2022 cost estimate remains
below the preliminary acquisition program baseline
(APB) goals. The initial APB is expected to be
approved leading up to the ADE 2B milestone....
The program plans to achieve initial operational
capability (IOC) before adjudicating the full results
of initial operational testing. This raises the
possibility of rework if testing identifies problems,
such as design flaws, on cutters that have already
been produced. The Coast Guard plans to mitigate

this risk by using the preliminary results from initial
Source: Coast Guard il ustration showing indicative (i.e., notional)
testing to inform its initial operational capability
designs for the WLI (top), WLIC (middle), and WLR (bottom),
decision. (GAO Report 23-106701, p. 52; see p. 53
shown at U.S. Coast Guard, “Waterways Commerce Cutter,”
for additional discussion.)
accessed March 23, 2023.
FY2024 Funding
Procurement Cost
The Coast Guard’s proposed FY2024 budget requests $98.0
An April 2023 Government Accountability Office (GAO)
million in procurement funding for the WCC program, to be
report on major acquisition programs in the Department of
used for commencing production of WLIC #1 and WLR #1;
Homeland Security, of which the Coast Guard is a part,
procuring long leadtime materials (LLTM) for WLIC #2
states that as of June 2022, the WCC program’s total
and WLR #2; continuing development of the government-
estimated procurement cost was $922 million, or an average
led design for the WLI; finalizing the RFP for the WLI
of about $30.7 million per cutter. (GAO Report 23-106701,
procurement; and other program activities.
p. 52.)
Ronald O'Rourke, Specialist in Naval Affairs
April 2021 Request for Proposals (RFP)
On April 30, 2021, the Coast Guard released a request for
IF11672
proposals (RFP) for the design and construction of an


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Coast Guard Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program: Background and Issues for Congress


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