The Coast Guard next month will release a comprehensive strategy for how it will operate in the Arctic Ocean as ice there recedes, human activity in the region increases and the service’s missions there expand, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp said recently.
“We must continue to refine our ability to provide, and then support, a persistent operational presence during periods of increasing human activity and environmental risk,” Papp said of the Arctic region at the annual State of the Coast Guard address. “Operations in this environment demand specialized capabilities and personnel trained and equipped to operate in extreme climates.”
The demand for the Coast Guard to boost its presence in the Arctic is one reason Papp said he continues to press for completing the acquisition of eight National Security Cutters (NSC), which is the service’s replacement for its aging High Endurance Cutters. So far three of the eight NSCs are operational with the Coast Guard and three more are under contract but the Obama administration has not requested funding beyond six of the vessels.
In 2012, the Coast Guard conducted a nine-month interagency operation in the Arctic that included the deployment of an NSC, two ice capable buoy tenders and two helicopters, Papp said. The NSC can carry two small boats and can launch helicopters to conduct “the full range of Coast Guard missions” and the vessels have robust communications capabilities, he said.
The Coast Guard isn’t currently equipped to have a year-round presence in the Arctic and conditions in the region still limit human and economic activity but melting ice is giving way to more of this activity for longer periods.
Papp said the forthcoming Arctic strategy will focus on three main priorities: improving Arctic awareness; modernizing governance; and broadening partnerships.
With budget tightening already in place and likely more to come, Papp said the Coast Guard will have to balance the demand for operations in the Arctic with existing missions and other priorities.