Updated March 14, 2024
Coast Guard Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program:
Background and Issues for Congress
Introduction
locations are in the central and eastern United States, the
The Coast Guard’s Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC)
rivers in question are referred to by the Coast Guard as the
program envisages procuring 30 replacements for the Coast
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 have the first new WCC
U.S. East and Gulf coasts in Alabama, Florida (three
be in service by 2025. On October 5, 2022, the Coast Guard
cutters), Louisiana (two cutters), Maryland, North Carolina,
awarded a contract to Birdon America, Inc. of Denver, CO,
South Carolina, Texas (three cutters), and Virginia. As of
to build up to 16 WLRs and 11 WLICs. The Coast Guard’s
2019, the four WLIs were based at locations in Alaska,
proposed FY2024 budget requested $98.0 million in
Michigan, Oregon, and North Carolina.
procurement funding for the WCC program. The Coast
Guard’s proposed FY2025 budget requests $135.0 million
Rationale for Building New WCCs
in procurement funding for the program.
The Coast Guard states in its FY2025 budget submission
that it wants to replace the 35 existing waterways cutters
Terminology
with new WCCs because “[i]n addition to age concerns and
Cutters are Coast Guard vessels that are more than 65 feet
the associated equipment obsolescence issues, the legacy
long and have accommodations for a crew. (Those less than
fleet presents other sustainment challenges, including
65 feet long are called boats.) Waterways refers here to the
hazardous materials stemming from the use of asbestos and
intra-coastal waterways along the U.S. East and Gulf
lead paint during construction of these assets. Outdated
coasts, and to U.S. inland waterways such as the
technology and vessel designs have also led to crew safety
Mississippi River. Tenders are vessels whose primary
concerns, maintenance cost increases, and non-compliance
mission is to maintain or repair something. Coast Guard
with environmental regulations. Finally, legacy vessel
tender designations begin with WL, meaning Coast Guard
configuration does not allow the assignment of mixed
vessel (W) and tender (L). (The W in the acronym WCC,
gender crews in accordance with the Coast Guard’s
however, stands for waterways.)
workforce goals.”
WCC Missions
WCC Program
WCCs perform three primary missions under the Coast
Guard’s statutory role of providing aids to navigation
Program Initiation and Name
(ATON): river buoy tending; inland construction tending
The WCC program was initiated in the Coast Guard’s
(which involves driving and removing piles and erecting
FY2018 budget submission. It was earlier called the Inland
and repairing range towers and major lights); and inland
Waterways and Western Rivers Tender (or Cutter) program.
buoy tending. WCCs are used for maintaining more than
28,200 marine aids to navigation on 12,000 miles of inland
Acquisition Strategy
waterways on which 630 million tons of cargo move each
The Coast Guard wants to replace the 35 existing waterway
year. Additional WCC missions include search and rescue
commerce cutters with 30 new WCCs, including 16 WLRs,
(SAR), marine safety, marine environmental protection, and
11 WLICs, and 3 WLIs. The Coast Guard states
ports, waterways, and coastal security.
The [16] River Buoy Tender [WLR] and [11] Inland
Existing Waterways Cutters
Construction Tender [WLIC] variants will be
The Coast Guard’s 35 existing WCCs—including 18
acquired on one contract; these variants will
WLRs, 13 WLICs, and 4 WLIs—were built to nine
maximize commonality with notable exceptions for
different designs and are now generally old or very old,
hull length, working deck layout, and deck
having been commissioned into service in 1990-1991 (2 of
equipment, including the crane.
them), 1976 (4), 1960-1970 (25), 1954 (2), and 1944-1945
The [3] Inland Buoy Tender[s] [WLIs] will be
(2).
acquired separately from the other two variants. In
Geographic Distribution
June 2021, the WCC Program began partnering
with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Marine
As of 2019, the 18 WLRs were based at cities along the
Design Center, which has experience with similar
Mississippi and other inland rivers in Alabama, Arkansas,
Illinois, Iowa (two cutters), Kentucky (two cutters),
acquisitions, to develop a Government-led design
Mississippi (three cutters), Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma,
for the Inland Buoy Tender variant. The Inland
Pennsylvania, and Tennessee (four cutters). Although these
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
price contract with economic price adjustments for
Cutter,” accessed January 18, 2024.)
the detail design and construction of its river buoy
and inland construction tenders [WLRs and
Figure 1 and Figure 2 show renderings of WCCs. The
WLICs]. The initial award is worth $28.49 million.
winner of the WLR/WLIC contract (see below) will be able
to compete for the WLI contract.
The contract includes options for the construction
of a total of 16 river buoy tenders [WLRs] and 11
Figure 1. Notional Rendering of WLIC and WLR
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
each. Birdon states that its subcontractors include Bollinger
Shipyards (Lockport, LA), for the WCCs’ bare hulls;
Master Boat Builders, Inc. (Coden, AL) for their
superstructures; Incat Crowther (an Australian firm with a
U.S. office in Lafayette, LA) for design work; Kern Martin
Services, Inc. (Coden, AL); Hiller Marine (Mobile, AL);
Techcrane International (Covington, LA); Beier Integrated

Systems (Gray, LA); LeBlanc Associates (Houma, LA);
Source: Notional vendor rendering of WLIC (left) and WLR (right),
and Cummins (Charleston, SC).
shown at U.S. Coast Guard, “Waterways Commerce Cutter,”
accessed March 23, 2023.
April 2023 GAO Report
Figure 2. Coast Guard Notional Designs for WLR,
The April 2023 GAO report states: “The program plans to
WLIC, and WLI
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 testing to
inform its initial operational capability decision.” (GAO
Report 23-106701, p. 52; see page 53 for additional
discussion.)
Funding
The Coast Guard’s proposed FY2024 budget requested
$98.0 million in procurement funding for the WCC
program. The Coast Guard’s proposed FY2025 budget
requests $135.0 million in procurement funding for the
program. The House Appropriations Committee, in its
report (H.Rept. 118-123 of June 27, 2023) on the FY2024
DHS Appropriations Act (H.R. 4367), recommends

approving the funding request. The Senate Appropriations
Source: Coast Guard il ustration showing indicative (i.e., notional)
Committee, in its report (S.Rept. 118-85 of July 27, 2023)
designs for the WLI (top), WLIC (middle), and WLR (bottom),
on the FY2024 DHS Appropriations Act (S. 2625),
shown at U.S. Coast Guard, “Waterways Commerce Cutter,”
recommends denying the funding request. Section 244 of
accessed March 23, 2023.
H.R. 4367 as reported would prohibit FY2024 WCC
procurement funding and prior-year procurement funding
Procurement Cost
that remains available for obligation in FY2024 within the
An April 2023 Government Accountability Office (GAO)
WCC program from being “used to enter into or carry out a
report on major Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
procurement contract with any entity deemed not eligible
acquisition programs states that as of June 2022, the WCC
for an award from a size standpoint by the Small Business
program’s total estimated procurement cost was $922
Administration.” H.Rept. 118-123 states “The Committee is
million, or an average of about $30.7 million per cutter.
disappointed in the lack of professionalism demonstrated by
(GAO Report 23-106701, p. 52.)
acquisition staff responsible for this project and expects the
Coast Guard to take substantive action to improve the
Contract Award
quality of its acquisition work and related communications”
On October 5, 2022, following a Request for Proposals
(pp. 49-50).
(RFP) released on April 30, 2021, the Coast Guard
announced that it had
Ronald O'Rourke, Specialist in Naval Affairs
IF11672
today awarded Birdon America, Inc. of Denver, an
indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity firm fixed
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Coast Guard Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) Program: Background and Issues for Congress


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