The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) yesterday sent a $39 billion discretionary budget request to Congress for FY ’14 that is 2.2 percent less than what Congress enacted in FY ’13, although the proposal includes funding for a seventh Coast Guard National Security Cutter (NSC), a program that the department attempted to halt last year after six ships.
Congress rejected the department’s position on the NSC and provided funding for long-lead materials for the seventh high-endurance cutter in the continuing budget resolution for FY ’13. DHS is seeking $616 million in construction funds for the NSC in FY ’14 for delivery of the vessel early in FY ’19.
The Coast Guard wants eight NSCs to replace its 12 aging Hamilton-class cutters. The request doesn’t include funding for eighth NSC. The fourth vessel is expected to be delivered in FY ‘14 by shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries [HII].
To help pay for the NSC, DHS is only providing $75 million for the Coast Guard’s Fast Response Cutter for two vessels, down from nearly $140 million in FY ’13 and nearly $360 million in FY ‘12. The Coast Guard has wanted to maintain production at between four and six craft annually. The budget request also says that in FY ’14 the Coast Guard will prepare a Request for Proposals for re-competing FRC production. Bollinger Shipyards currently builds the patrol boats, which are based on a Swedish design that will be used in the new competition.
Bollinger originally was expected to provide up to 35 of the 154-foot FRCs but as some options have expired for phase one of the production contract, the maximum number of boats the company could build is 30. The Coast Guard has a requirement for 58 FRCs.
The request would also continue design of the service’s new medium-endurance cutter, the Offshore Patrol Cutter, at $25 million. The Coast Guard plans to award three preliminary and contract design contracts for the OPC during FY ’13 and to review the contract deliverables in FY ’14.
The Coast Guard is also seeking $2 million to continue design activities for a new polar icebreaker, which will allow it to complete the Mission Needs Statement, the Concept of Operations, and the Preliminary Operational Requirements Document. A construction contract is expected within the next four years.
The service isn’t seeking any funding for the HC-144A Maritime Patrol Aircraft supplied by the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. The Coast Guard has 14 of the planes and four more under contract. The planned buy is for 36 aircraft.
The Coast Guard is seeking $951.1 million in acquisition funding for FY ’14, the bulk of it, $743 million, for shipbuilding. Overall, DHS is requesting $9.8 billion for the Coast Guard, 6 percent less than FY ‘13
For Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the budget request totals $12.9 billion, a 9 percent gain over FY ’13 if enacted. The request contains $351.5 million for the border security technology account, down from $399.4 million in FY ’13.
The border security technology request includes $85.3 million for the Integrated Fixed Tower program, $54.3 million for modernizing tactical communications, and $37.4 million for the Tethered Aerostat Radar System (TARS) program, which the Defense Department is currently operating for CBP on the southwest border. Under the budget proposal, DHS will take ownership of TARS in FY ’14.
The border security request also includes $131.4 million for operations and maintenance of fielded systems, including surveillance technology and communication systems.
DHS is requesting $427.7 million for CBP’s Air and Marine Interdiction activities in FY ’14, with the Sierra Nevada Corp.-integrated Super King Air 350 ER Multirole Enforcement Aircraft pegged to receive $43 million for two planes. The service life extension program on the Lockheed Martin [LMT] built P-3 surveillance aircraft would continue with $24 million.
CBP’s proposed budget doesn’t include funding for additional Predator B unmanned aircraft systems, which are built by General Atomics. The agency has 10 of the aircraft.
The FY ’14 DHS budget would provide the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) with $7.4 billion, 6 percent less than in FY ’13.
Aviation security, as usual, would receive the majority of the funds for TSA, with $103.4 million allotted for checkpoint support and technology activities and $84 million for the purchase and installation of explosive detection systems (EDS) to screen checked bags. Congress provided $206 million for checkpoint support and $224.1 million for EDS purchases and installation in FY ’13.
The checkpoint support program in FY ’14 will include $98.4 million for testing and buying upgrades to X-ray systems to screen carry-on bags and the purchase of 250 new portable explosives trace detectors. There are no plans to buy Advanced Imaging Technology units, also referred to as body scanners, in the request.
The DHS Science and Technology Directorate would be a big winner under the request as its funding would more than double to $1.5 billion from $671.8 million in FY ’13. The main reason for the 125 percent increase is due to planned construction of a new National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility for which $857.8 million is requested.