[House Hearing, 118 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                    GUARDIANS OF THE SEA: NATIONAL SECURITY 
                   MISSIONS OF THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD

=======================================================================

                                (118-38)

                                HEARING

                               BEFORE THE

                            SUBCOMMITTEE ON
                COAST GUARD AND MARITIME TRANSPORTATION

                                 OF THE

                              COMMITTEE ON
                   TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                    ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

                             FIRST SESSION

                               __________

                           DECEMBER 12, 2023

                               __________

                       Printed for the use of the
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
             
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]             


     Available online at: https://www.govinfo.gov/committee/house-
     transportation?path=/browsecommittee/chamber/house/committee/
                             transportation                             
                             
                                __________

                   U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE                    
57-119 PDF                  WASHINGTON : 2024                    
          
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                 

             COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

		  Sam Graves, Missouri, Chairman
		 Rick Larsen, Washington, Ranking Member
		 
Eleanor Holmes Norton,               Eric A. ``Rick'' Crawford, 
  District of Columbia               Arkansas
Grace F. Napolitano, California      Daniel Webster, Florida
Steve Cohen, Tennessee               Thomas Massie, Kentucky
John Garamendi, California           Scott Perry, Pennsylvania
Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr.,      Georgiaian Babin, Texas
Andre Carson, Indiana                Garret Graves, Louisiana
Dina Titus, Nevada                   David Rouzer, North Carolina
Jared Huffman, California            Mike Bost, Illinois
Julia Brownley, California           Doug LaMalfa, California
Frederica S. Wilson, Florida         Bruce Westerman, Arkansas
Donald M. Payne, Jr., New Jersey     Brian J. Mast, Florida
Mark DeSaulnier, California          Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon,
Salud O. Carbajal, California          Puerto Rico
Greg Stanton, Arizona,               Pete Stauber, Minnesota
  Vice Ranking Member                Tim Burchett, Tennessee
Colin Z. Allred, Texas               Dusty Johnson, South Dakota
Sharice Davids, Kansas               Jefferson Van Drew, New Jersey,
Jesus G. ``Chuy'' Garcia, Illinois     Vice Chairman
Chris Pappas, New Hampshire          Troy E. Nehls, Texas
Seth Moulton, Massachusetts          Tracey Mann, Kansas
Jake Auchincloss, Massachusetts      Burgess Owens, Utah
Marilyn Strickland, Washington       Rudy Yakym III, Indiana
Troy A. Carter, Louisiana            Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Oregon
Patrick Ryan, New York               Thomas H. Kean, Jr., New Jersey
Mary Sattler Peltola, Alaska         Anthony D'Esposito, New York
Robert Menendez, New Jersey          Eric Burlison, Missouri
Val T. Hoyle, Oregon                 John James, Michigan
Emilia Strong Sykes, Ohio            Derrick Van Orden, Wisconsin
Hillary J. Scholten, Michigan        Brandon Williams, New York
Valerie P. Foushee, North Carolina   Marcus J. Molinaro, New York
                                     Mike Collins, Georgia
                                     Mike Ezell, Mississippi
                                     John S. Duarte, California
                                     Aaron Bean, Florida
                                     Celeste Maloy, Utah
                                     Vacancy
                                ------                                7

        Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation

                   Daniel Webster, Florida, Chairman
             Salud O. Carbajal, California, Ranking Member
Brian Babin, Texas                   John Garamendi, California
Brian J. Mast, Florida               Chris Pappas, New Hampshire
Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon,            Jake Auchincloss, Massachusetts
  Puerto Rico                        Mary Sattler Peltola, Alaska
Jefferson Van Drew, New Jersey       Hillary J. Scholten, Michigan,
Mike Ezell, Mississippi, Vice          Vice Ranking Member
    Chairman                         Rick Larsen, Washington (Ex 
Aaron Bean, Florida                      Officio)
Sam Graves, Missouri (Ex Officio)

                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page

Summary of Subject Matter........................................     v

                 STATEMENTS OF MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE

Hon. Daniel Webster, a Representative in Congress from the State 
  of Florida, and Chairman, Subcommittee on Coast Guard and 
  Maritime Transportation, opening statement.....................     1
    Prepared statement...........................................     3
Hon. Rick Larsen, a Representative in Congress from the State of 
  Washington, and Ranking Member, Committee on Transportation and 
  Infrastructure, opening statement..............................     4
    Prepared statement...........................................     5
Hon. Salud O. Carbajal, a Representative in Congress from the 
  State of California, and Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Coast 
  Guard and Maritime Transportation, opening statement...........     6
    Prepared statement...........................................     8

                                WITNESS

Vice Admiral Peter Gautier, Deputy Commandant for Operations, 
  U.S. Coast Guard, oral statement...............................     9
    Prepared statement...........................................    10

                                APPENDIX

Questions to Vice Admiral Peter Gautier, Deputy Commandant for 
  Operations, U.S. Coast Guard, from:
    Hon. Jefferson Van Drew......................................    33
    Hon. Mike Ezell..............................................    33

[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                            December 8, 2023

    SUMMARY OF SUBJECT MATTER

    TO:      LMembers, Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime 
Transportation
    FROM:  LStaff, Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime 
Transportation
    RE:      LSubcommittee Hearing on ``Guardians of the Sea: 
National Security Missions of the United States Coast Guard''
_______________________________________________________________________


                               I. PURPOSE

    The Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation 
will meet on December 12, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. ET in 2167 of the 
Rayburn House Office Building to receive testimony at a hearing 
entitled, ``Guardians of the Sea: National Security Missions of 
the United States Coast Guard.'' Members will examine the 
national security missions of the United States Coast Guard 
(Coast Guard or Service). It will focus on the Coast Guard's 
efforts to support national security interests in the Indo-
Pacific and Arctic regions. At the hearing, Members will 
receive testimony from the United States Coast Guard.

                             II. BACKGROUND

    The Coast Guard is a vital component of the United States 
national security apparatus. Section 102(7) of the title 14, 
United States Code, states that the Coast Guard shall maintain 
a state of readiness to assist in the defense of the United 
States, and section 103 provides authority for the Coast Guard 
to operate as a Service in the United States Navy under certain 
circumstances. The Service is unique among armed services in 
that section 522 of title 14, United States Code, authorizes 
the Service to conduct law enforcement operations on the high 
seas and waters of the United States.\1\ Furthermore, as United 
States national security interests continue to grow in the 
Arctic and Indo-Pacific regions, the Coast Guard's mix of 
military, regulatory, and law enforcement abilities provide the 
United States with a flexible tool that can advance its 
interests in the region, build partnerships, and deter 
adversary aggression.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ See 14 U.S.C. Sec.  522.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In the Indo-Pacific, the Coast Guard plays an important 
role by providing a means of non-escalatory United States 
security presence. The Service provides essential technical 
expertise to allies and partners on how to develop maritime 
capabilities and regulations, and the ability to counter grey-
zone activities by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the 
Peoples Armed Forces Maritime Militia (PAFMM).\2\ Furthermore, 
its efforts are essential to countering drug, Illegal, 
Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, and terrorism 
threats in the region.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \2\ Lyle J. Morris, Blunt Defenders of Sovereignty--The Rise of 
Coast Guards in East and Southeast Asia, Naval War College Review, Vol. 
70, 2 at 1-2 (2017), available at https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/
cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1016&context=nwc-review [hereinafter 
Morris].
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In the Arctic, the Coast Guard plays a critical role of 
maintaining the Nation's sole ice breaking capabilities across 
the United States Government fleet.\3\ Such capacity is 
necessary to facilitate commercial and scientific access, 
maintain a consistent military presence to project sovereignty 
and counter Russian and Chinese activity, and safeguard United 
States resources and assets in the region.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \3\ United States Coast Guard, Arctic Strategic Outlook 
Implementation Plan (Oct. 2023) available at https://media.defense.gov/
2023/Oct/25/2003327838/-1/-1/0/ARCTIC
%20STRATEGIC%20OUTLOOK%20IMPLEMENTATION%20PLAN%20508
%20COMPLIANT.PDF [hereinafter Implementation].
    \4\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       III. INDO-PACIFIC MISSIONS

    The 2022 United States Indo-Pacific Strategy recognizes 
that the Indo-Pacific region is vital to United States national 
security and economic prosperity.\5\ In the face of China's 
rising dominance in the Indo-Pacific, the Coast Guard plays a 
vital role in both preserving and advancing United States 
interests in the region--so much so that it is the only service 
explicitly referenced by name within the Indo-Pacific 
Strategy.\6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \5\ See The White House, Indo-Pacific Strategy, (Feb. 2022), 
available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/
U.S.-Indo-Pacific-Strategy.pdf.
    \6\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Coast Guard supports United States interests by 
maintaining a robust maritime law enforcement presence in the 
region. Currently, the Coast Guard has permanently deployed 
three Fast Response Cutters (FRC) to Guam to support Indo-
Pacific operations.\7\ The Service also deploys National 
Security Cutters (NSC) on Indo-Pacific patrols, and has future 
plans to periodically station up to five NSCs in the region.\8\ 
These vessels, operating under various multilateral agreements, 
international conventions, or other negotiated agreements, are 
able to perform enforcement duties pertaining to international 
law or the laws of host countries when operating within their 
territorial waters.\9\ The Coast Guard currently leverages 12 
bilateral law enforcement agreements with Pacific Island 
Nations that allow the Service to directly assist each nation 
in enforcing their respective sovereign rights, build strong 
maritime governance regimes, and form a unified front against 
malign activity.\10\ More broadly, the Coast Guard utilizes 
over 60 multi- and bi-lateral agreements that authorize 
personnel with enforcement authority from partner nations to 
embark on Coast Guard cutters and conduct combined law 
enforcement operations inside the partner nation's Exclusive 
Economic Zones (EEZs).\11\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \7\ Press, Release, United States Coast Guard Acquisition 
Directorate, Coast Guard Commissions 3 Fast Response Cutters in Guam, 
(July 29, 2021), available at https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Our-
Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Acquisitions-CG-9/
Newsroom/Latest-Acquisition-News/Article/2713364/coast-guard-
commissions-3-fast-response-cutters-in-guam/.
    \8\ Gidget Fuentes, Coast Guard Moving Cutter to Pacific as 
Regional Missions Expand, USNI News, (Feb. 15, 2023), available at 
https://news.usni.org/2023/02/15/coast-guard-moving-cutter-to-pacific-
as-regional-missions-expand.
    \9\ U.S. Coast Guard Indo-Pacific Operations: Hearing Before 
Subcomm. on Transp. and Maritime Security of the H. Comm on Homeland 
Security, 118th Cong. (Sept. 28, 2023) (statement of Vice Admiral 
Andrew J. Tiongson, Commander, Coast Guard Pacific Area) [hereinafter 
Homeland Security Committee Hearing].
    \10\ Id.
    \11\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Coast Guard's unique blend of authorities and 
international image is key to countering Chinese malignant and 
grey-zone activities that threaten the interests of the United 
States and its regional partners. China currently uses a range 
of civilian, paramilitary, and Chinese Coast Guard assets to 
advance its economic and security interests in the Indo-Pacific 
and South China Sea.\12\ These actors routinely engage in IUU 
fishing, territorial encroachment, and the harassment of other 
claimants' vessels and platforms.\13\ Recent examples of such 
activities include the Chinese Coast Guard ramming Filipino 
fishermen, harassing Filipino oil and gas exploration vessels 
within the Philippines' EEZ, as well as numerous incursions 
into Taiwanese waters by Chinese fishing vessels during periods 
of heightened tension with the United States.\14\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \12\ See Morris supra note 2.
    \13\ Id.
    \14\ See Enrico Dela Cruz and Karen Lema Philippines Says Chinese 
Coastguard `Intentionally' collided with its boats, Reuters, (Oct. 23, 
2023), available at https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/
philippines-tells-china-stop-provocative-actions-south-china-sea-2023-
10-23/; Jill Goldenziel, China Challenges Philippines Over Oil, Gas, 
and Ocean, Forbes, (Dec. 22, 2022) available at https://www.forbes.com/
sites; Joel Guinto, How China is Fighting in the Grey Zone Against 
Taiwan, BBC, (Oct. 4, 2023), available at https://www.bbc.com/news/
world-asia-66851118
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    These actions often fall below the threshold of armed 
conflict and are designed to limit the ability of traditional 
military assets to respond, as doing so may create the 
perception of over response and escalation.\15\ Comparatively, 
when responding to such scenarios, the Coast Guard is able to 
maintain a low threshold of escalation. The ``White Hull'' 
brand of the Coast Guard is perceived as less provocative 
within the international community and allows it to maintain a 
lower profile with respect to use of force escalation when 
compared to its grey-hull Navy counterparts.\16\ In conjunction 
with the aforementioned maritime law enforcement capabilities, 
the Coast Guard is the best equipped service to meaningfully 
address the growing Chinese grey-zone threat in the Indo-
Pacific.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \15\ Morris, supra note 2, at 77.
    \16\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Service also engages in, and is an important tool for, 
maritime capability building in partner nations. The Service 
provides operational training and advice to key Indo-Pacific 
partner countries, aiding in the development of their partner 
navies and coast guards, which themselves often more closely 
resemble the United States Coast Guard rather than the United 
States Navy.\17\ In 2022, Coast Guard NSC's participated in 
numerous capability building training exercises, including 
operations Blue Pacific and North Pacific Coast Guard.\18\ The 
Coast Guard also supports the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries 
Agency in building regional capacity to address IUU fishing by 
managing numerous training programs and exercises.\19\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \17\ See United States Dep't of Defense, Indo-Pacific Strategy 
Report--Preparedness, Partnerships, and Promoting a Networked Region 41 
(June 1, 2019), available at https://media.defense.gov/2019/Jul/01/
2002152311/-1/-1/1/DEPARTMENT-OF-DEFENSE-INDO-
PACIFIC-STRATEGY-REPORT-2019.PDF.
    \18\ Homeland Security Committee Hearing, supra note 9.
    \19\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          IV. ARCTIC MISSIONS

    The United States has relied on the Coast Guard's 
persistent presence in the polar regions to facilitate American 
leadership since the United States acquired Alaska in 1867, and 
took over responsibility for Antarctic icebreaking in 1966.\20\ 
With substantial territorial and economic interests in the 
Arctic, including one million square miles of territorial 
waters and EEZ, a $3 billion arctic seafood industry, 90 
billion barrels of undiscovered oil reserves and 30 percent of 
the world's undiscovered natural gas, $1 trillion in rare earth 
minerals, and increased commercial and tourism activity, the 
importance of the Arctic to the United States cannot be 
overstated.\21\ Today, the Coast Guard projects United States 
sovereignty in the Arctic in the face of challenges by Russia 
and China, and represents American interests in international 
bodies governing navigation, search and rescue, vessel safety, 
fisheries enforcement and pollution response.\22\ As the Arctic 
continues to open and strategic competition in the region 
attracts more actors, the demand for Coast Guard leadership and 
presence has only grown.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \20\ See United States Coast Guard, Arctic Strategic Outlook (Apr. 
2019) available at https://www.uscg.mil/Portals/0/Images/arctic/
Arctic_Strategic_Outlook_APR_2019.pdf [hereinafter Outlook].
    \21\ Id.
    \22\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In the last decade, the world has witnessed a rise in 
access to the Arctic through shipping routes. In 2017, a 
Russian tanker became the first ship to complete the Northern 
Sea Route between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans without the 
aid of icebreakers.\23\ By 2021, an astounding 414 ships 
voyaged on this route.\24\ Although the total number of voyages 
fell in 2022 to only 314 vessels, Russia dominated the 
activity, as 88 percent of the vessels were Russian-
flagged.\25\ In 2023, the Coast Guard cutter Healy successfully 
transited the Northern Sea Route north of Russian territorial 
waters.\26\ Russia and China have declared the Arctic region a 
national priority and made corresponding investments in the 
capability and capacity to expand their influence.\27\ Yet, 
they have also challenged the rules-based order as they jockey 
for increasing power and dominance.\28\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \23\ Russell Goldman, Russian Tanker Completes Arctic Passage 
Without Aid of Icebreakers, N.Y. Times, (Aug. 25, 2017), available at 
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/25/world/europe/russia-tanker-
christophe-de-margerie.html.
    \24\ Northern Sea Route Sees Lots of Russian Traffic, But No 
International Transits in 2022, High North News, (June 20, 2023), 
available at https://www.highnorthnews.com/en/northern-sea-route-sees-
lots-russian-traffic-no-international-transits-2022. [hereinafter 
Northern Sea Route]
    \25\ Id.
    \26\ Malte Humpert, U.S. Coast Guard Icebreaker Sails in Proximity 
to Russia's Northern Sea Route, High North News, (Sept. 4, 2023), 
available at https://www.arctictoday.com/
us-coast-guard-icebreaker-sails-in-proximity-to-russias-northern-sea-
route/?wallit_nosession=1
    \27\ Northern Sea Route supra note 24.
    \28\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    As the Nation's primary maritime presence in the polar 
regions, the United States has increasingly turned to the Coast 
Guard to secure the Arctic.\29\ To facilitate a myriad of 
strategic goals, the Coast Guard published an ``Arctic 
Strategic Outlook'' in April 2019 and an ``Arctic Strategic 
Outlook Implementation Plan'' in October 2023.\30\ The 
Strategic Outlook focuses on three lines of effort to achieve 
the Service's overarching objectives: 1) enhancing the 
capability to operate effectively in the Arctic, 2) 
strengthening the rules-based order, and 3) innovating and 
adapting to promote resilience and prosperity.\31\ The 
Implementation Plan is comprised of fourteen interconnected 
initiatives to execute the lines of effort and identifies the 
lead organizations or offices responsible for overseeing each 
initiative, as well as critical action items to advance 
them.\32\ Of particular note are the initiatives to expand 
Arctic surface capabilities, associated support infrastructure, 
aviation and communication capabilities.\33\ It also highlights 
the need to strengthen internal coordination mechanisms, like 
the centers for Arctic study and policy and the polar 
coordination office, as well as international partnerships like 
strengthening the Arctic Coast Guard Forum and preserving 
United States leadership in the Arctic Council.\34\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \29\ Implementation supra note 3.
    \30\ See Outlook, supra note 20; Implementation, supra note 3.
    \31\ Outlook, supra note 20.
    \32\ Implementation, supra note 3.
    \33\ Id.
    \34\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    As reflected in these documents, the Coast Guard relies on 
its ice breakers to project presence and sovereignty in the 
upper reaches of the Arctic. With its distinctive red hull and 
Coast Guard racing stripe, icebreakers are a beacon of United 
States power and leadership in the far north. Yet, despite the 
importance of the Arctic the Coast Guard's current operational 
ocean-going icebreaking fleet consists only of the medium 
icebreaker Healy and the heavy icebreaker Polar Star.\35\ Healy 
is the Coast Guard's only icebreaker specifically designed for 
Arctic research and is operated in collaboration with the 
National Science Foundation, as well as other agencies.\36\ It 
deploys annually to the Arctic to support multiple science 
missions and Operation Arctic Shield, the Service's annual 
operation to execute Coast Guard missions, enhance maritime 
domain awareness, strengthen partnership, and build 
preparedness, prevention, and response capabilities across the 
Arctic domain.\37\ As the Nation's only heavy icebreaker, the 
Polar Star annually travels to McMurdo Station in Antarctica to 
lead Operation Deep Freeze and break miles of ice up to 21 feet 
thick to restock the research station and allow it to continue 
its operations.\38\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \35\ Ronald O'Rourke, Cong. Research Serv., RL34391, Coast Guard 
Polar Security Cutter (Polar Icebreaker) Program: Background and Issues 
for Congress (July 31, 2023), available at https://www.crs.gov/reports/
pdf/RL34391/RL34391.pdf [hereinafter CRS PSC Report].
    \36\ U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy, National Science Foundation 
embark on Arctic Ocean mission, United States Coast Guard News, (Aug. 
26, 2023), available at https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/
Article/3506293/us-coast-guard-cutter-healy-national-science-
foundation-embark-on-arctic-ocean/.
    \37\ Id.
    \38\ See United States Coast Guard--Pacific Area, USCGC Polar Star 
(WAGB 10), available at https://www.pacificarea.uscg.mil/Our-
Organization/Cutters/cgcPolarStar/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Healy's recent patrol to the Arctic demonstrates the 
diversity and the necessity of its operations. Departing in 
July and still underway, Healy has already traveled over 20,000 
nautical miles from Seattle, over the north pole, to 
Scandinavia, Charleston, and through the Panama Canal and still 
has thousands more miles to cover before it returns home.\39\ 
During the trip, Healy completed two science expeditions in the 
Beaufort and Chukchi Seas and the Eastern Siberian and Laptev 
seas, led joint operations in the Barents Sea with the 
Norwegian Coast Guard, conducted joint operations with Danish 
and Icelandic Sea services in the North Atlantic, and attended 
the annual Arctic Circle assembly.\40\ It became the first 
United States surface vessel to have sailed near the Northern 
Sea Route since the 1980s, and therefore entered the Russian 
EEZ.\41\ Unsurprisingly, the Healy's voyage was closely 
monitored by a Russian research vessel.\42\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \39\ Jameson Moyer, U.S. Coast Guard cutter Healy visits 
Charleston, NBC 2, (Nov. 3, 2023) available at https://
www.counton2.com/news/local-news/u-s-coast-guard-cutter-healy-visits-
charleston/.
    \40\ Id.
    \41\ US Icebreaker Healy on Successful Research Voyage in the 
Siberian Arctic, High North News, (Oct. 11, 2023) available at https://
www.highnorthnews.com/en/us-icebreaker-healy-succesful-research-voyage-
siberian-arctic.
    \42\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Yet, despite the importance of this region, the United 
States lags behind other Arctic nations in its icebreaking 
capabilities. With significant territory in the Arctic, Russia 
has a fleet of 55 icebreakers, including 18 military 
icebreakers.\43\ While China cannot claim any territory in the 
Arctic, it has declared itself a ``near Arctic state,'' and 
operates a fleet of two medium and two heavy icebreakers, with 
more planned for later this decade.\44\ The Coast Guard is 
working to replace and expand its fleet of heavy icebreakers 
with at least three Polar Security Cutters (PSC).\45\ 
Additionally, the Service is considering the acquisition of 
additional medium icebreakers through the Arctic Security 
Cutter Program.\46\ The Coast Guard is also seeking to acquire 
a commercially available icebreaker that could bolster its 
Arctic capabilities in the near term.\47\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \43\ Abbie Tingstand et. al., Report on the Arctic Capabilities of 
the U.S. Armed Forces, RAND Corporation (2023) available at https://
www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1638-1.html.
    \44\ Id.
    \45\ CRS PSC Report, supra note 35.
    \46\ Id.
    \47\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    While Congress has appropriated funding for the first two 
PSCs, like other major Coast Guard acquisition programs, the 
PSC program has suffered serious delays and cost overruns, and 
the first PSC may not be operational until the end of this 
decade. At the same time, the Coast Guard will likely require 
additional funding to move the PSC program past the first hull.
    The success of the Healy patrol demonstrated the need for 
increasing capacity and capabilities in the Arctic. Yet, with 
only two aging icebreakers in its fleet and continual delays 
and cost increases in the PSC program, it is unclear how the 
Coast Guard will carry out lifesaving and marine safety 
missions in the Arctic, much less its national defense 
missions.

                               V. WITNESS

     LVice Admiral Peter Gautier, Deputy Commandant for 
Operations, United States Coast Guard

 
 GUARDIANS OF THE SEA: NATIONAL SECURITY MISSIONS OF THE UNITED STATES 
                              COAST GUARD

                              ----------                              


                       TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2023

                  House of Representatives,
          Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime 
                                    Transportation,
            Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
                                                    Washington, DC.
    The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 2:46 p.m. in 
room 2167 Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Daniel Webster 
(Chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. The Subcommittee on Coast Guard and 
Maritime Transportation will come to order. I ask unanimous 
consent that the chairman be authorized to declare a recess at 
any time during today's hearing.
    Without objection, show that ordered.
    I ask for unanimous consent that the Members who are not on 
the subcommittee be permitted to be on it and ask questions in 
the subcommittee today.
    Without objection, show that ordered.
    As a reminder, Members who wish to insert a document in the 
record, please also email it to DocumentsTI@mail.house.gov.
    And I will recognize myself for the purpose of an opening 
statement for 5 minutes.

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. DANIEL WEBSTER OF FLORIDA, CHAIRMAN, 
    SUBCOMMITTEE ON COAST GUARD AND MARITIME TRANSPORTATION

    Mr. Webster of Florida. We meet today to examine the 
national security missions of the Coast Guard, focusing on the 
Service's vital efforts in the Indo-Pacific and Arctic regions.
    I would like to welcome our distinguished witness joining 
us today, Vice Admiral Peter Gautier. Is that correct?
    Admiral Gautier. That's correct, sir.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. Thank you. Deputy Commandant for 
Operations at the U.S. Coast Guard.
    In 1787, Alexander Hamilton wrote that ``a few armed 
vessels, judiciously stationed at the entrances of our ports, 
might at small expense, be made useful sentinels of the laws.'' 
Over the last 200-plus years, the Coast Guard has grown from 
these origins to become a vital sentinel of our national 
security.
    Nowhere is this more evident than the Indo-Pacific and the 
Arctic regions where the Coast Guard's mix of military, 
regulatory, and law enforcement abilities provide the United 
States with a flexible tool that is essential to advancing 
national interests.
    The Indo-Pacific region, which spans from our Pacific 
coastline to the Indian Ocean, is home to more than half of the 
world's population, nearly two-thirds of the world's economy, 
and seven of the world's largest militaries. As the strategic 
value of the Indo-Pacific continues to grow against the 
backdrop of increased Chinese territorial activity, the Coast 
Guard's robust law enforcement presence in the region is needed 
to ensure U.S. security and prosperity.
    The Coast Guard leverages a fleet of three Fast Response 
Cutters in Guam, a rotating presence of National Security 
Cutters, 12 bilateral law enforcement agreements, and over 60 
multilateral agreements to enforce the international legal 
order. But this order is being challenged by China through 
state-subsidized illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing, 
unauthorized incursions, and harassment of foreign vessels. 
China intentionally acts below the threshold of armed conflict, 
limiting traditional U.S. Navy response.
    But with their white hulls, Coast Guard cutters act as the 
modern version of Roosevelt's Great White Fleet. They leverage 
a unique blend of authorities to counter Chinese malignant and 
gray zone activities in a non-escalatory manner unavailable to 
the U.S. Navy. Furthermore, since most Indo-Pacific nations 
have maritime forces resembling the Coast Guard, the Service is 
well-positioned to provide operational training and advice, and 
forge partnerships with key regional allies.
    In the Arctic, the United States similarly has substantial 
territorial and economic interests, including 1 million square 
miles of territory, a $3 billion seafood industry, and 
trillions of dollars of mineral and oil reserves. As Russia and 
China challenge these interests, Coast Guard efforts to project 
U.S. sovereignty, improve navigation, provide search and rescue 
capabilities, enforce fishery regulations, and ensure vessel 
safety are the cornerstone of U.S. security and prosperity in 
the region.
    With its distinctive red hull and Coast Guard racing 
stripe, icebreakers are a beacon of U.S. power in the far 
north. Yet, despite the strategic importance of the Arctic, the 
Coast Guard only has two icebreakers. Only one of these, Healy, 
deploys annually to the Arctic to engage in everything from 
National Science Foundation research to capacity building.
    Conversely, Russia has a fleet of 55 icebreakers, and 
China, which has deemed itself a near-Arctic state, has a fleet 
of four icebreakers. Russia and China have declared the Arctic 
region national priorities and have made corresponding 
investments in the capability and capacity needed to expand 
their influence.
    The United States and the Coast Guard are racing to play 
catchup. I fear we are losing.
    While the Coast Guard has been working for years to replace 
and expand its fleet of heavy icebreakers with at least three 
Polar Security Cutters, PSCs, this committee has serious 
concerns about the Coast Guard's ability to execute this 
acquisition program and deliver the ships on time. We expect 
updates as program milestones are met, but no less frequently 
than every 60 days.
    To help plug the gap in the near term, this committee 
supports the Coast Guard's efforts to acquire a commercially 
available icebreaker. And we hope the Service can apply some of 
the lessons learned from the PSC program as it seeks to expand 
its medium icebreaker fleet.
    So, as we explore the Service's national security missions 
today, focusing on the Indo-Pacific and the Arctic, I look 
forward to learning what the Coast Guard will do to strengthen 
its capabilities in these critical regions and how Congress can 
assist.
    [Mr. Webster of Florida's prepared statement follows:]

                                 
    Prepared Statement of Hon. Daniel Webster of Florida, Chairman, 
        Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
    We meet today to examine the national security missions of the 
Coast Guard, focusing on the Service's vital efforts in the Indo-
Pacific and Arctic regions.
    I'd like to welcome our distinguished witness joining us today--
Vice Admiral Peter Gautier, Deputy Commandant for Operations at the 
U.S. Coast Guard.
    In 1787, Alexander Hamilton wrote that ``a few armed vessels, 
judiciously stationed at the entrances of our ports, might at small 
expense, be made useful sentinels of the laws.'' Over the last 200-plus 
years, the Coast Guard has grown from these origins to become a vital 
sentinel of national security.
    Nowhere is this more evident than the Indo-Pacific and the Arctic 
regions where the Coast Guard's mix of military, regulatory, and law 
enforcement abilities provide the United States with a flexible tool 
that is essential to advancing national interests.
    The Indo-Pacific region, which spans from our Pacific coastline to 
the Indian Ocean, is home to more than half the world's people, nearly 
two-thirds of the world's economy, and seven of the world's largest 
militaries. As the strategic value of the Indo-Pacific continues to 
grow against the backdrop of increased Chinese territorial activity, 
the Coast Guard's robust law enforcement presence in the region is 
needed to ensure U.S. security and prosperity.
    The Coast Guard leverages a fleet of three Fast Response Cutters in 
Guam, a rotating presence of National Security Cutters, twelve 
bilateral law enforcement agreements, and over sixty multi-lateral 
agreements to enforce the international legal order. But this order is 
being challenged by China through state-subsidized illegal, 
unregulated, and unreported fishing, unauthorized incursions, and 
harassment of foreign vessels. China intentionally acts below the 
threshold of armed conflict, limiting traditional U.S. Navy response.
    But, with their white hulls, Coast Guard cutters act as the modern 
version of Roosevelt's ``Great White Fleet.'' They leverage a unique 
blend of authorities to counter Chinese malignant and grey zone 
activities in a non-escalatory manner unavailable to the U.S. Navy. 
Furthermore, since most Indo-Pacific nations have maritime forces 
resembling the Coast Guard, the Service is well-positioned to provide 
operational training and advice, and forge partnerships with key 
regional allies.
    In the Arctic, the United States similarly has substantial 
territorial and economic interests, including 1 million square miles of 
territory, a $3 billion seafood industry, and trillions of dollars of 
mineral and oil reserves. As Russia and China challenge these 
interests, Coast Guard efforts to project U.S. sovereignty, improve 
navigation, provide search and rescue capabilities, enforce fisheries 
regulations, and ensure vessel safety are the cornerstone of U.S. 
security and prosperity in the region.
    With its distinctive red hull and Coast Guard racing stripe, 
icebreakers are a beacon of U.S. power in the far north. Yet, despite 
the strategic importance of the Arctic, the Coast Guard only has two 
icebreakers. Only one of these, Healy, deploys annually to the Arctic 
to engage in everything from National Science Foundation research to 
capacity building.
    Conversely, Russia has a fleet of 55 icebreakers, and China, which 
has deemed itself a near-Arctic state, has a fleet of 4 icebreakers. 
Russia and China have declared the Arctic region national priorities 
and have made corresponding investments in the capability and capacity 
needed to expand their influence.
    The United States and the Coast Guard are racing to play catch up, 
but I fear we are losing.
    While the Coast Guard has been working for years to replace and 
expand its fleet of heavy icebreakers with at least three Polar 
Security Cutters (PSC), this committee has serious concerns about the 
Coast Guard's ability to execute this acquisition program and deliver 
the ship on time. We expect updates as program milestones are met, but 
no less frequently than every 60 days.
    To help plug the gap in the near term, this committee supports the 
Coast Guard's efforts to acquire a commercially available icebreaker. 
And we hope the Service can apply some of the lessons learned from the 
PSC program as it seeks to expand its medium icebreaker fleet.
    So, as we explore the Service's national security missions today 
focusing on the Indo-Pacific and the Arctic, I look forward to learning 
what the Coast Guard will do to strengthen its capabilities in these 
critical regions and how Congress can assist.

    Mr. Webster of Florida. I would like to thank our witness 
for joining us here today and look forward to a great 
discussion.
    I want to recognize the ranking member of the full 
committee, Mr. Larsen.

 OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. RICK LARSEN OF WASHINGTON, RANKING 
     MEMBER, COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
    First, I want to start by taking a moment to acknowledge 
the courage of the five women today who testified this morning 
before the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations 
about their experiences with sexual assault and sexual 
harassment at the Coast Guard Academy. It is incumbent on the 
Coast Guard and Congress to do everything that we can to ensure 
cadets are not exposed to sexual assault or harassment at the 
Academy. Just yesterday, my staff reviewed a prosecution memo 
that shed light on a lack of accountability at the Coast Guard. 
And while we continue to conduct oversight and listen to 
survivors, I am prepared to do whatever is necessary to ensure 
a safer experience for every Coastie.
    Many people are aware of the Coast Guard's search and 
rescue mission, and I am glad we are having today's hearing to 
examine the Coast Guard's lesser known missions, including 
efforts to support national security interests in the Indo-
Pacific and Arctic regions.
    Extreme weather events are affecting every aspect of Coast 
Guard operations from severe storms causing maritime casualties 
to coastal erosion at Coast Guard stations. The Service is 
forced to confront climate change on a daily basis, and no 
place is changing more than the thawing Arctic.
    The Arctic is experiencing increased cargo and passenger 
vessel traffic, increased vessel traffic from foreign 
governments including Russia and China, and a growing interest 
in natural resources including minerals, oil, gas, and fish. 
The Coast Guard is the lead agency tasked with maritime safety, 
law enforcement, and national security in the Arctic, but with 
current resources, it cannot meet the demand.
    The Coast Guard operates one heavy and one medium 
icebreaker that are responsible for maintaining a regular 
presence in the Arctic and the Antarctic. The combined age of 
these two icebreakers is 72 years. Given the Service's need to 
be present in both the Arctic and Antarctic annually, more 
resources are required. While the Coast Guard is under contract 
to build more heavy icebreakers, I have serious concerns about 
the procurement, and I look forward to hearing how the Service 
plans to ensure the smooth construction and delivery of those 
cutters.
    As well, during times of war, the Coast Guard can be 
transferred in whole or in part to the Navy. Though this has 
not happened since World War I, the Coast Guard has experienced 
significant growth in its international missions in support of 
the Department of Defense.
    The Coast Guard's operations in the Indo-Pacific illustrate 
this point. Three Fast Response Cutters are currently deployed 
to Guam in support of Indo-Pacific operations, and the Service 
regularly deploys National Security Cutters to patrol the 
region.
    The Coast Guard's presence in the Indo-Pacific is 
invaluable. As a non-DoD Service, the Coast Guard can operate 
in unique ways and places. For instance, in June of this year, 
a Coast Guard cutter transited the Taiwan Strait in conjunction 
with trilateral exercises with the Philippines and Japan, an 
operation that garners far less attention than if conducted by 
the U.S. Navy.
    The Coast Guard's presence in the Arctic and the Indo-
Pacific are just two examples of a broader trend of increased 
demand on the Service. Unfortunately, this growth has not come 
with an increase in the requisite resources, and we are seeing 
mission strain across the Coast Guard.
    Just last month, we were alerted that the Coast Guard has a 
servicemember shortage of 10 percent, and, as a result, it is 
suspending or scaling back operations at dozens of stations 
across the country.
    Coast Guard shoreside infrastructure faces a maintenance 
backlog of at least $3 billion, and several cutter procurement 
programs face delays, including the Polar Security Cutters, 
Offshore Patrol Cutters, and Waterways Commerce Cutters. There 
are real consequences associated with insufficient funding. 
While its motto is semper paratus, or always ready, I fear we 
are quickly reaching a point where the Coast Guard will be only 
sometimes ready. It is time for Congress to fully resource the 
Coast Guard for all of its missions.
    I want to thank you, Chair Webster, for holding today's 
hearing. I look forward to hearing how Congress can do better 
to support the Coast Guard.
    With that, I yield back.
    [Mr. Larsen of Washington's prepared statement follows:]

                                 
 Prepared Statement of Hon. Rick Larsen of Washington, Ranking Member, 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
    I'd like to start by taking a moment to acknowledge the courage of 
the five women who testified this morning before the Senate's Permanent 
Subcommittee on Investigations about their experiences with sexual 
assault and sexual harassment at the Coast Guard Academy.
    It is incumbent on the Coast Guard and Congress to do everything we 
can to ensure cadets are not exposed to sexual assault or harassment at 
the academy. Just yesterday, my staff reviewed a prosecution memo that 
shed light on a lack of accountability at the Coast Guard. While we 
continue to conduct oversight and listen to survivors, I am prepared to 
do whatever is necessary to ensure a safer experience for every 
Coastie.
    Many people are aware of the Coast Guard's search and rescue 
mission, but I am glad that we are having today's hearing to examine 
the Coast Guard's lesser-known missions including efforts to support 
national security interests in the Indo-Pacific and Arctic regions.
    Extreme weather events are affecting every aspect of Coast Guard 
operations from severe storms causing maritime casualties to coastal 
erosion at Coast Guard stations.
    The Service is forced to confront climate change on a daily basis, 
and no place is changing more than the thawing Arctic.
    The Arctic is experiencing increased cargo and passenger vessel 
traffic, increased vessel traffic from foreign governments including 
Russia and China and a growing interest in natural resources including 
minerals, oil, gas, and fish.
    The Coast Guard is the lead agency tasked with maritime safety, law 
enforcement and national security in the Arctic but, with current 
resources, it cannot meet the demand.
    The Coast Guard operates one heavy and one medium icebreaker that 
are responsible for maintaining a regular presence in the Arctic and 
Antarctic.
    The combined age of those two icebreakers is 72 years. Given the 
Service's need to be present in both the Arctic and the Antarctic 
annually, more resources are required.
    While the Coast Guard is under contract to build more heavy 
icebreakers, I have serious concerns about the procurement and look 
forward to hearing how the Service plans to ensure the smooth 
construction and delivery of those cutters.
    During times of war, the Coast Guard can be transferred in whole or 
in part to the Navy. Though this has not happened since World War I, 
the Coast Guard has experienced significant growth in its international 
missions in support of the Department of Defense.
    The Coast Guard's operations in the Indo-Pacific illustrate this 
point. Three Fast Response Cutters are currently deployed to Guam in 
support of Indo-Pacific operations and the Service regularly deploys 
National Security Cutters to patrol the region.
    The Coast Guard's presence in the Indo-Pacific is invaluable. As a 
non-DoD Service, the Coast Guard can operate in unique ways and places. 
For instance, in June of this year, a Coast Guard cutter transited the 
Taiwan Strait in conjunction with trilateral exercises with the 
Philippines and Japan--an operation that garners far less attention 
than if conducted by the U.S. Navy.
    The Coast Guard's presence in the Arctic and the Indo-Pacific are 
just two examples of a broader trend of increased demand on the 
Service. Unfortunately, this growth has not come with an increase in 
the requisite resources, and we are seeing mission strain across the 
Coast Guard.
    Just last month, we were alerted that the Coast Guard has a 
servicemember shortage of 10 percent and, as a result, is suspending or 
scaling back operations at dozens of stations across the country.
    Coast Guard shoreside infrastructure faces a maintenance backlog of 
at least $3 billion. Several cutter procurement programs face delays 
including Polar Security Cutters, Offshore Patrol Cutters, and 
Waterways Commerce Cutters.
    There are real consequences associated with insufficient funding.
    While their motto is ``Semper Paratus'' or ``always ready,'' I fear 
that we are quickly reaching a point where the Coast Guard will only be 
``sometimes ready.'' It is time for Congress to fully resource the 
Coast Guard.
    Thank you, Chairman Webster, for holding today's hearing and I look 
forward to hearing how Congress can do better to support the Coast 
Guard.

    Mr. Webster of Florida. I now recognize Ranking Member 
Carbajal for an opening statement of 5 minutes.

  OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. SALUD O. CARBAJAL OF CALIFORNIA, 
   RANKING MEMBER, SUBCOMMITTEE ON COAST GUARD AND MARITIME 
                         TRANSPORTATION

    Mr. Carbajal. Thank you, Chairman Webster, for another 
opportunity to dive deeper into the Coast Guard missions.
    Before we get started, I, too, want to begin by 
acknowledging the bravery of the survivors who came forward to 
testify in the Senate about a culture of sexual assault, sexual 
harassment, coverup, abuse, and retaliation in the Coast Guard 
this morning. I hope our witness and every leader in the Coast 
Guard was watching. Your stories were deeply impactful, and I 
am committed to doing everything I can to ensure it doesn't 
happen to another person.
    The U.S. Coast Guard is vital to national security, but 
their role in protecting this Nation is oftentimes forgotten.
    With Coast Guard presence on all seven continents, their 
missions extend far beyond our shores. Coast Guard operations 
in areas like the Arctic and the Indo-Pacific directly supports 
U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives in these 
regions. Their unique capabilities, mission sets, and 
longstanding partnerships allow the Coast Guard to be valuable 
in enhancing maritime governance, safety, and security 
throughout the world.
    Cutters and crews regularly engage in professional 
exchanges and capacity building with partner nations to support 
a free and open Indo-Pacific. This comes at a time when 
tensions are high in areas like the South China Sea, where 
maritime encounters between China and allied nations have 
increased. A white-hulled cutter poses a less significant 
threat compared to a gray-hulled Navy vessel, giving the Coast 
Guard the ability to conduct international diplomacy.
    As our climate continues to change, the Arctic is melting 
at an alarming rate, opening up shipping lanes and leading to 
an increase in commercial traffic in areas once inaccessible. 
The Coast Guard is tasked with maintaining maritime safety, 
search and rescue, emergency response, and law enforcement 
across this vast landscape, but it is continually provided 
insufficient resources.
    Icebreaking capabilities and presence in the Arctic and 
Antarctic are limited due to the dismal fleet of two 
operational Coast Guard icebreakers. Increased shipping in the 
Arctic will increase the need for a Coast Guard presence.
    The Coast Guard's budget is less than 2 percent of the 
Department of Defense's budget comparatively. Yet, along with 
significant mission growth elsewhere, the Coast Guard is 
continually expected to increase its assistance to DoD.
    I am increasingly concerned that the Coast Guard is not 
receiving the appropriate resources to effectively conduct 
their missions. I am also concerned that the reimbursement that 
the Coast Guard receives from DoD has not kept pace with actual 
costs.
    As mentioned last hearing, the Coast Guard is facing one of 
the worst staffing shortages in their history. With a shortage 
of more than 4,000 personnel, the Service will soon begin 
closing stations and laying up cutters. This poses a serious 
threat to fulfilling their missions and ensuring national 
security. Without greater resources and improved recruitment, 
the Coast Guard will not be able to maintain their 
international presence and support DoD.
    While I understand we will not be able to resolve that 
today, I expect this hearing to help provide a pathway forward 
and demonstrate the needs of the Service.
    Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
    [Mr. Carbajal's prepared statement follows:]

                                 
  Prepared Statement of Hon. Salud O. Carbajal of California, Ranking 
    Member, Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
    Thank you, Chairman Webster, for another opportunity to dive deeper 
into Coast Guard missions.
    Before we get started, I want to begin by acknowledging the bravery 
of the survivors who came forward to testify in the Senate about a 
culture of sexual assault, sexual harassment, cover-up, abuse, and 
retaliation in the Coast Guard this morning. I hope our witness and 
every leader in the Coast Guard was watching. Your stories were deeply 
impactful, and I'm committed to doing everything I can to ensure it 
doesn't happen to another person.
    The U.S. Coast Guard is vital to national security, but their role 
in protecting this nation is often forgotten.
    With Coast Guard presence on all seven continents, their missions 
extend far beyond our shores. Coast Guard operations in areas like the 
Arctic and the Indo-Pacific directly supports U.S. foreign policy and 
national security objectives in these regions.
    Their unique capabilities, mission sets, and longstanding 
partnerships allow the Coast Guard to be valuable in enhancing maritime 
governance, safety, and security throughout the world.
    Cutters and crews regularly engage in professional exchanges and 
capacity building with partner nations to support a free and open Indo-
Pacific. This comes at a time when tensions are high in areas like the 
South China Sea where maritime encounters between China and allied 
nations have increased.
    A white-hulled cutter poses a less significant threat compared to a 
grey-hulled Navy vessel, giving the Coast Guard the ability to conduct 
international diplomacy.
    As our climate continues to change, the Arctic is melting at an 
alarming rate--opening up shipping lanes and leading to an increase in 
commercial traffic in areas once inaccessible.
    The Coast Guard is tasked with maintaining maritime safety, search 
and rescue, emergency response, and law enforcement across this vast 
landscape, but is continually provided insufficient resources.
    Icebreaking capabilities and presence in the Arctic and Antarctic 
are limited due to the dismal fleet of two operational Coast Guard 
icebreakers. Increased shipping in the Arctic will increase the need 
for a Coast Guard presence.
    The Coast Guard's budget is less than 2 percent of the Department 
of Defense's budget comparatively. Yet, along with significant mission 
growth elsewhere, the Coast Guard is continually expected to increase 
its assistance to DOD.
    I am increasingly concerned that the Coast Guard is not receiving 
the appropriate resources to effectively conduct their missions. I'm 
also concerned that the reimbursement that the Coast Guard receives 
from the DOD has not kept pace with actual costs.
    As mentioned last hearing, the Coast Guard is facing one of the 
worst staffing shortages in their history.
    With a shortage of more than 4,000 personnel, the Service will soon 
begin closing stations and laying up cutters. This poses a serious 
threat to fulfilling their missions and ensuring national security.
    Without greater resources and improved recruitment, the Coast Guard 
will not be able to maintain their international presence and support 
DOD.
    While I understand we will not be able to resolve that today, I 
expect this hearing to help provide a pathway forward and demonstrate 
the needs of the Service.

    Mr. Webster of Florida. Thank you very much.
    I would like to welcome our witness, thank him for being 
here today. I would like to also take a moment to explain our 
lighting system, which is: Green means go, yellow means slow 
up, and red means stop, it is time to end. And I would also 
like to ask unanimous consent that the witness' full statement 
be included in the record.
    Without objection, show that ordered.
    I ask unanimous consent that the record of today's hearing 
remain open until such time as our witness has provided answers 
to any questions that might be submitted by the Members. I also 
ask unanimous consent that the record remain open for 15 days 
for any additional comments or information submitted by Members 
or the witness to be included in the record of today's hearing.
    Without objection, show that ordered.
    As your written testimony has been made a part of the 
record, the subcommittee asks that you limit your remarks to 5 
minutes. And with that, Vice Admiral Gautier, you are 
recognized for 5 minutes.

TESTIMONY OF VICE ADMIRAL PETER GAUTIER, DEPUTY COMMANDANT FOR 
                  OPERATIONS, U.S. COAST GUARD

    Admiral Gautier. Thank you, Chairman Webster, Ranking 
Member Carbajal, Ranking Member Larsen, distinguished members 
of this subcommittee. Thank you for inviting me here today to 
discuss the U.S. Coast Guard's role in advancing our national 
security interests across the globe. And a particular thanks 
for this subcommittee's enduring support of the Coast Guard men 
and women and their families.
    Our national security strategy tells us that we are in a 
decisive decade that will determine the direction of the world 
and impact security and prosperity of the American people for 
generations to come. As the U.S. and people around the world 
struggle to cope with the effects of shared challenges, 
transnational crime, climate change, and great power 
competition, more and more our Nation and international 
partners look to us, the U.S. Coast Guard, for maritime 
governance solutions for those challenges.
    The Coast Guard has an important role in national security, 
delivering services across all statutory missions wherever we 
operate. This is increasingly evident in both the Indo-Pacific 
and the Arctic. In the Indo-Pacific, we provide Coast Guard 
services to Americans in Hawaii, Guam, the Commonwealth of 
Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa, as well as 
supporting the Compact States of Free Association.
    The 2022 Indo-Pacific Strategy charges the Coast Guard to 
increase presence and meaningful engagements with partners, and 
for good reason. Their top maritime concerns are also ours, and 
they look to us to help advance their maritime sovereignty and 
security. Together, we advance regional maritime governance and 
promote free, prosperous, and secure maritime domains, all 
squarely in the U.S. interest when these foundational 
principles are being undermined.
    The Service is relocating the Harriet Lane, a Medium 
Endurance Cutter, to Hawaii to increase Coast Guard presence in 
the region and engagements with partner nations. We have 
homeported six new Fast Response Cutters in Guam and Honolulu. 
With congressional support in 2024, we would hope to add four 
additional FRCs. These cutters have proven to be an ideal 
platform with expeditionary capability even into the far 
reaches of Oceania. These capabilities combined with a long 
list of Coast Guard activities and partnerships across the 
Indo-Pacific to provide unity and strength in bolstering our 
U.S. maritime governance goals.
    In the Arctic, we provide Coast Guard services throughout 
Alaska and the U.S. Arctic region. Like the Indo-Pacific, the 
Arctic is undergoing physical, operational, and geographic, 
geostrategic transformation. This opens the Arctic region to 
greater human activity, and with it, increased risk across the 
maritime sector. The Coast Guard is deeply concerned about 
rising risk to national security, in particular from Russia and 
China, as nations compete for diplomatic, economic, and 
strategic advantage in the Arctic.
    These changing conditions drive increased demands for Coast 
Guard services. This year in Operation Arctic Shield, we 
increased seasonal presence in the U.S. Arctic by deploying 
cutters, aircraft, and shore forces to respond to search and 
rescue cases, inspect bulk oil facilities, complete commercial 
fishing vessel exams, and conduct oilspill and mass rescue 
exercises, and training and outreach events across 91 Alaska 
communities.
    We need continued support from Congress to build the next 
generation of Coast Guard capabilities for the Arctic. Funding 
to increase near-term presence to the acquisition of a 
commercially available medium icebreaker is included in the 
fiscal year 2024 President's budget request, and we are working 
with the Navy and Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding to advance 
the Polar Security Cutter acquisition.
    Never has the Coast Guard leadership been more important in 
the Arctic Indo-Pacific and regions around the globe. With our 
meaningful combination of authorities, impactful capabilities, 
and history of performance and partnerships, we play a vital 
role in national security as we seek to build and sustain a 
coalition of unified partners to shape each region's maritime 
domain as peaceful, stable, and cooperative.
    And, Mr. Chairman, before I close, might I just thank the 
two ranking members for mentioning the Senate committee this 
morning examining sexual assault in the United States Coast 
Guard. The Commandant of the Coast Guard has this as her number 
one priority to get after, and the senior leadership team is 
totally committed to getting after, embracing, providing the 
transparency, and having the difficult exchanges in order to 
really attack this challenge.
    I understand that there were a number of Coast Guard 
witnesses this morning, both retired, and past, and then also 
on Active Duty, and I, too, commend the courage of those 
individuals in telling some really, really difficult stories, 
so, thank you.
    [Vice Admiral Gautier's prepared statement follows:]

                                 
Prepared Statement of Vice Admiral Peter Gautier, Deputy Commandant for 
                      Operations, U.S. Coast Guard
                              Introduction
    Good morning, Chairman Webster, Ranking Member Carbajal, and 
distinguished Members of the Subcommittee. It is my pleasure to be here 
today to discuss the U.S. Coast Guard's (Coast Guard) role in advancing 
national interests in the Indo-Pacific and Arctic.
    The United States is both an Indo-Pacific and Arctic nation and the 
Coast Guard delivers services across all eleven of its statutory 
missions to American citizens throughout these regions. In both the 
Arctic and Indo-Pacific, the Coast Guard serves as a unique instrument 
of national security, with authorities, capabilities, and partnerships 
that allow seamless operations across the spectrum of national power. 
Through routine presence, meaningful engagements, and actions that 
strengthen maritime governance, the Service promotes a free, open, 
prosperous, and secure maritime domain during a time when these tenets 
are being challenged. While the Coast Guard has routinely operated in 
the Indo-Pacific and Arctic for over 150 years, a changing environment, 
the intensification of geostrategic competition, and dynamic trends in 
maritime trade and waterways usage are increasing the demand for Coast 
Guard leadership, presence, and services. The changing climate is 
already exerting adverse impacts in both the Indo-Pacific and Arctic 
regions and the Coast Guard plays a critical role of in protection of 
the lives of our citizens and our neighbors from the resulting hazards. 
In response to these demands and in alignment with national strategies 
and related plans, we continue on a path of growing investments in 
these regions, reflected most recently in the President's fiscal year 
(FY) 2024 budget request.
    I understand the significant level of investments required to 
advance Coast Guard efforts in the Indo-Pacific and Arctic, and I 
embrace the trust Congress and the American people have placed in the 
Coast Guard. The Service will continue to prioritize actions that 
safeguard U.S. sovereignty and interests, honor Tribal Nations and 
Indigenous Peoples of the Pacific and Arctic, deliver Coast Guard 
services within U.S. waters, and promote adherence to international 
rules and norms.
                Indo-Pacific Operations and Partnerships
    The Coast Guard's strategic vision for the Indo-Pacific is to 
support a free, open, connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient 
region where the United States is a trusted partner for maritime 
safety, security, and prosperity. The Coast Guard works closely with 
the Department of Defense (DoD) and U.S. interagency partners to 
achieve this vision.
    First and foremost, we provide Coast Guard services to Hawaii, the 
United States' territories of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, and American Samoa, as well as supporting U.S. 
engagement with the Compact States (COFA). The 2022 Indo-Pacific 
Strategy builds on this legacy of service by directing the Coast Guard 
to increase both its regional presence and the training and advisory 
services offered to partner nations. In response, the Service has 
increased targeted patrols with National Security Cutters (NSC) and 
Fast Response Cutters (FRC) in support of our regional partnerships. 
Working with the Department of State (DOS) and the DoD, we have 
increased engagements with international partners who seek to advance 
maritime governance within their own territorial waters and Exclusive 
Economic Zones (EEZ). Across Oceania, we actively leverage 12 bilateral 
law enforcement agreements with Pacific Island Countries to assist 
partners in enforcing their respective domestic sovereign rights, 
building strong maritime governance regimes, and forming a unified 
front against malign activity. A free and open Indo-Pacific is best 
achieved through building collective capacity and encouraging our 
partners to take on regional leadership roles.
    The Coast Guard's law enforcement, regulatory, and humanitarian 
missions are attractive to nations in this region and the Coast Guard 
is regularly sought out to help solve issues of mutual interest. We 
promote professional service-to-service relationships and enhanced 
cooperation across a wide range of maritime, economic, and national 
security challenges. The Coast Guard works through Security 
Cooperation, Security Assistance, and capacity building programs with 
DoD and DOS to provide bilateral and multilateral training to partners. 
These efforts demonstrate commitment to the region and promote the 
United States as a trusted partner.
    The Coast Guard employs a unique blend of diplomatic, military, 
economic, and law enforcement tools to provide integrated deterrence 
through routine presence, meaningful engagements, and the advancement 
of maritime governance. Working with DOS, we leverage efforts such as 
the Southeast Asian Maritime Law Enforcement Initiative (SEAMLEI) to 
help train and educate partner nations to build a multilateral 
coalition for enforcing standards of behavior in the maritime domain to 
preserve their sovereignty and strengthen international rules-based 
norms. The Coast Guard works with regional partners collectively 
through forums such as the North Pacific Coast Guard Forum and in bi- 
or multi-lateral engagements to develop strategies to address common 
problems. The Coast Guard uses its expeditionary capacity to provide 
tailored support to partners to enable them to protect their maritime 
sovereignty while also protecting U.S. sovereign rights in the U.S. 
EEZ.
    To meet increasing challenges and demands in the Indo-Pacific, the 
Coast Guard has expanded capability in the Pacific by homeporting three 
new FRCs in Guam and three in Honolulu with the intent to continue to 
grow FRC capacity with Congressional support. These cutters have proven 
to be an ideal platform with expeditionary capability to sail to the 
far reaches of Oceania. They conducted five Oceania expeditionary 
patrols in FY 2023, embarking ship riders from eight nations and 
conducting 44 bi-lateral boardings and 74 shoreside engagements.
    The Indo-Pacific FRCs also became the first Coast Guard cutters to 
operationalize the new bi-lateral agreement with Papua New Guinea (PNG) 
conducting four counter Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) 
fishing boardings and shoreside engagements with the PNG Defense Force, 
Fisheries, and Customs authorities. Similar engagements were conducted 
with the Philippines and Palau, growing the capabilities of key 
regional partner states that enable them to govern their own waters.
    The Service also relocated the Harriet Lane, a medium endurance 
cutter, to Hawaii this year. The first Famous-class cutter to be 
homeported in the Pacific, this ship will promote maritime governance, 
increase persistent U.S. presence in the region, and conduct 
engagements with partner nations.
    The Coast Guard supports the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) 
with NSC deployments, adaptive force packages, and capacity building 
engagements. In FY 2023, Coast Guard NSCs participated in several 
multi-national initiatives. These deployments supported the U.S. 7th 
Fleet during U.S. Navy-led Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training, 
Rim of the Pacific, and Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training 
exercises, and transits through the Taiwan Strait. NSCs also supported 
the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), targeting IUU fishing 
in Oceania. Coast Guard deployable specialized forces also embarked on 
U.S. Navy vessels operating in the Western and Central Pacific in 
support of IUU fishing enforcement under the Oceania Maritime Security 
Initiative. The Service remains committed to interoperability with our 
DoD partners and is always ready to fulfill a complementary role during 
conflict or contingency operations as a part of the Joint Force.
    The Coast Guard's FY 2024 Unfunded Priority List included $400 
million for four FRCs in the Indo-Pacific to advance the Indo-Pacific 
Strategy of the United States. Additional FRCs in the Indo-Pacific 
would increase the Coast Guard's persistent and visible presence, 
strengthening coordination with partners and bolstering regional 
security.
                   Arctic Operations and Partnerships
    The Arctic is undergoing a dramatic transformation of its physical, 
operational, and geostrategic environment. Increasing impacts of 
climate change are opening up new access to Arctic waters. This drives 
greater activity in the Arctic region, and with it increased risk 
across the maritime sector. The 2022 National Strategy for the Arctic 
Region (NSAR) establishes priorities within the Arctic, addressing the 
climate crisis with greater urgency, expanding scientific research, 
recognizing the need to advance U.S. leadership at home and abroad, and 
directing new capability investments. The Coast Guard contributed to 
developing both the National Security Strategy (NSS) and NSAR and 
continues to be at the forefront of Arctic strategic leadership.
    In alignment with the NSAR, the Coast Guard published its Arctic 
Strategic Outlook Implementation Plan last month. The plan underscores 
the Coast Guard's commitment to promoting safety, sovereignty, and 
stewardship in the region, describing actions the Service will take 
over the next decade, including continuing our efforts to build Polar 
Security Cutters (PSCs) and related shoreside infrastructure, acquiring 
a commercially-available medium icebreaker, strengthening the Arctic 
Coast Guard Forum (ACGF) and Arctic Council, increasing Arctic 
communications capabilities, and modernizing the U.S. Arctic Marine 
Transportation System (MTS).
    The Coast Guard acts in concert with allies and partners throughout 
the region to support U.S. strategic objectives, and to assert 
international leadership to advance cooperation and uphold 
international law, rules, norms, and standards for Arctic coastal 
states and other non-Arctic flag states whose ships sail in Arctic 
waters. The Coast Guard consistently provides guidance and direction 
through preeminent multilateral forums such as the International 
Cooperative Engagement Program for Polar Research, Arctic Council, and 
the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
    Since 2017, the Coast Guard has conducted exercises with partner 
Arctic states through the ACGF and the Arctic Council to enhance 
interoperability and provide a platform for direct dialogue among 
Arctic agencies fulfilling Coast Guard-like functions. The Coast Guard 
will continue to exhibit model governance grounded in international 
law, rules, norms, and standards in the U.S. Arctic and to encourage 
like-minded partners to do the same in their Arctic waters.
    This year, Coast Guard Cutter Healy completed a voyage from the 
high Arctic above Asia and Europe to the U.S. east coast before 
returning to its homeport in Seattle, Washington. Healy's operations 
supported a blend of national priorities across the Arctic, including 
building international partnerships, reinforcing international norms, 
and supporting scientific activities in partnership with the National 
Science Foundation (NSF) along the edge of the Russian EEZ. Healy 
exercised U.S. presence in the Chukchi, East Siberian, and Laptev Seas, 
in accordance with international law, and experienced numerous 
professional encounters with Russian vessels and aircraft.
    The Coast Guard is directly observing increased strategic 
competition in the U.S. Arctic. Through the operations of the Coast 
Guard Pacific Area Command and its Seventeenth District (D17), which is 
responsible for Coast Guard activities for an area of over 3,853,500 
square miles including Alaska and the Arctic, the Coast Guard meets 
presence with presence, through Operation Frontier Sentinel. Over the 
past three years, the Coast Guard has provided operational presence and 
monitored Chinese military Surface Action Groups, as well as combined 
Russian-Chinese Task Groups, operating in the U.S. EEZ. In September, 
an NSC maintained presence to ensure the safety of U.S. fishing vessels 
during a lawfully conducted Russian military exercise in the U.S. EEZ. 
In these instances, the Coast Guard's visible forward presence ensured 
that Russia and China operated in accordance with international law.
    Since 2009, the Coast Guard has influenced Arctic governance and 
sustainable development through Operation Arctic Shield. This Operation 
demonstrates the Coast Guard's operational capability, asserts 
leadership, and models responsible international governance in a region 
of key geostrategic importance. Operation Arctic Shield delivers a full 
suite of Coast Guard services to residents and waterway users across 
Alaska and the U.S. Arctic region.
    This work strengthens the MTS, protects the environment, and 
supports the resilience of Alaska Native communities. This year, Coast 
Guard personnel conducted extensive marine safety-oriented regulatory 
activities in 91 villages, inspecting bulk oil facilities and 
commercial vessels, issuing commercial fishing safety decals, and 
providing training in areas such as boating safety and ice rescue. 
Coast Guard presence in the region is by far the largest of any Federal 
agency. The Coast Guard is also aware of serious challenges facing many 
communities in Western Alaska stemming from the declines of certain 
fisheries in the Bering Sea.
    Through governing relationships such as the Task Force on the 
Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area (NBSCRA), the Coast Guard 
is participating with a broad range of Federal departments and agencies 
in an effort to address these challenges, in partnership with Tribal 
representatives of affected communities. Safe shipping and noise 
reduction standards in respect of marine mammal migrations through the 
NBSCRA region remain Tribal priorities.
    In the Atlantic segment of the Arctic, the Coast Guard's Atlantic 
Area Command actively participates in opportunities to reinforce the 
Service's role as a trusted, reliable partner in the region. In June, 
the Coast Guard participated in Exercise ARGUS 2023, the sixth exercise 
in a series of annual non-military exercises in the Arctic, which 
included ships and aircraft from Denmark, Greenland, France, and the 
Coast Guard. Also in June, the Coast Guard, the Danish Joint Arctic 
Command, the French Atlantic Command, and local Greenlandic authorities 
executed a Combined Joint Disaster Relief and Search and Rescue (SAR) 
exercise. The exercise spanned five days, and included force 
integration training, navigation exercises, towing exercises, damage 
control exercises, SAR searches, air drops, and hoist exercises. In 
August, Coast Guard participated in Operation NANOOK along with 
Denmark, France, and Canada, where those nations operated as a Combined 
Task Group to exercise capabilities and integration with multinational 
defense allies and exchange best practices during fleet integration 
training. Collectively, these exercises improved our capacity to 
respond to maritime threats and advanced the U.S. government's standing 
and influence with key Arctic partners.
    U.S. operational presence and influence in the Arctic are founded 
on Coast Guard polar icebreakers. The Polar Security Cutter (PSC) is a 
top acquisition priority for the Coast Guard and the Navy. The PSC is 
the capability the Nation needs to ensure persistent presence and 
robust domain awareness in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. The 
integrated Coast Guard-Navy Program Office continues to work actively 
with the prime contractor to deliver this critical capability.
    The FY 2024 President's Budget also requests $150 million to 
support the acquisition of a commercially available polar icebreaker, 
including initial modifications, crewing, and integrated logistics 
support required to reach initial operating capability. The purchase of 
a commercially available polar icebreaker will accelerate U.S. presence 
in the polar regions in the near-term and increase capacity in the 
long-term.
    In addition to recapitalization of our icebreakers, investment in 
Arctic-capable Coast Guard surface and aviation assets, properly 
trained and equipped personnel, enhanced communication and domain 
awareness capabilities, and logistics resources are crucial to 
delivering Coast Guard services and advancing our security and 
sovereign interests in the Arctic. As outlined in the Coast Guard's 
2019 Arctic Strategic Outlook, closing gaps in these areas requires a 
whole-of-government approach, such as our partnerships with scientific 
research agencies, coupled with consistent investment to seize 
opportunities and confront challenges in the Arctic.
                               Conclusion
    The physical, operational, and geopolitical environment in the 
Indo-Pacific and Arctic continues to change, driving demand for Coast 
Guard presence, influence, and services. The Coast Guard has served and 
shaped national security in both regions for more than 150 years and 
will remain central to a U.S. whole-of-government approach to secure 
our national maritime interests and with partners to reinforce the 
rules-based international maritime order in the regions.
    The continued support of Congress to increase Coast Guard Arctic 
and Indo-Pacific capacity and presence will fortify the Nation's 
strategic interests in both regions. Coast Guard leadership is vital in 
maintaining a coalition of like-minded partners to shape the maritime 
domain in each region as peaceful, stable, and cooperative. Thank you 
for the opportunity to testify before you today and for the enduring 
actions of this Subcommittee to support the members of the Coast Guard.

    Mr. Webster of Florida. Thank you for your testimony.
    We will now turn to questions from the panel. I will 
recognize myself for 5 minutes for questions.
    Vice Admiral, the current Coast Guard acquisition and 
modernization strategy was devised in the 1990s. While the 
Coast Guard works to build the cutters and aircraft planned 
almost three decades ago, the world and the Service's missions 
have changed. The Coast Guard did not plan on operations in the 
Indo-Pacific and the national security missions it is now 
assigned. How will the Coast Guard ensure its cutters are 
equipped to execute its national security missions and that 
they are not outdated before they even get started operating?
    Admiral Gautier. Mr. Chairman, as you mentioned, we are 
about halfway through a historic recapitalization of Coast 
Guard assets. Our cutters and our aircraft, our C5I systems. 
About halfway through that. We continually update our 
evaluations giving current trends on what we think our fleet 
mixes might need to be in the future and what our capabilities 
are. In fact, to your point, the first National Security Cutter 
is now about 15 years old. The last one that is being built 
today has a number of major systems that are indeed different 
than the original one.
    But in terms of how we update things, I will give you an 
example. The fleet mix analysis we did for Polar Security 
Cutters and icebreakers tells us that we think we now need 
eight to nine in a mix of heavy and medium icebreakers in order 
to tackle all the challenges of the Arctic and Antarctic.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. With the Coast Guard's new focus on 
the Indo-Pacific, how will the Service ensure that it is 
completely and thoughtfully part of its core missions, how do 
they do that?
    Admiral Gautier. Chairman, thanks to the support of 
Congress, successive administrations, and partners, the Coast 
Guard has been getting a lot of support for our growth in the 
Indo-Pacific. We did things last year like we moved a Coast 
Guard cutter from the east coast, the Harriet Lane, which has 
now arrived in Hawaii and is going to be part and parcel of our 
engagement strategies there.
    We have, as you have mentioned, we have homeported six FRCs 
in between Guam and Honolulu. We have built centers. We put 
more people and more teams in the Indo-Pacific. And with your 
support in the 2024 budget, we want to and need to do more.
    We have $40 million in requests in order to build and field 
four Fast Response Cutters to continue the good work that we 
have done in the Indo-Pacific, in addition to some of the 
logistical capability that we need, aircraft support and 
maintenance, in order to continue our growth to provide the 
meaningful services that we do.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. So, given the increased timeline 
for PSC delivery, what is the plan in the meantime to allow the 
Service to carry out its missions in the Arctic?
    Admiral Gautier. Sir, we are pressing forward as quickly as 
we can and meaningfully with the Polar Security Cutter 
acquisition. In the meantime, we have requested $150 million in 
the fiscal year 2024 budget to purchase a commercially 
available icebreaker which will help us get more presence more 
quickly up into the Arctic, both in the near term and in the 
long term in order to tackle some of the things that we need to 
do.
    We have also been in the midst of a very successful service 
life extension program to the Coast Guard cutter Polar Star, 
which is in Sydney right now to be on its way to break out ice 
in Antarctica to keep that cutter running longer. It has had 
three of the five segments in that SLEP, and that is working 
very well.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. We have talked about it, I know 
there are very few people that even build the ships, much less 
fix them up, so, is there a way to kind of grab out all the 
middle of it, of the old ship and put in new and have a--kind 
of a new ship out of an old hull? Is that possible?
    Admiral Gautier. Well, we have examined that, Chairman. The 
Coast Guard cutter Polar Sea is a sister ship to the Polar Star 
and hasn't been operational for a number of years now. In an 
effort to see what we could field more quickly, we did a study 
back in 2017 that told us it was going to be about $500 million 
in order to gut and renew that ship and get it back into 
service.
    Since then, unfortunately, we use that ship for spare 
parts. We have removed many more components and systems on that 
ship in order to keep the Polar Star afloat, so, we think the 
cost of that would be substantially greater, and it would take 
quite a bit of time in order to do that, so, we have not been 
pursuing that actively.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. And has the Coast Guard considered 
contracting out Antarctica icebreaking to free up the Polar 
Star to patrol the Arctic?
    Admiral Gautier. We have explored that, Chairman, and 
there, too, there aren't a lot of great options. First of all, 
we think there is a really important role for a Coast Guard 
icebreaker in Antarctica, not just to break ice to service the 
National Science Foundation's McMurdo Station, but to also 
provide the kind of U.S. sovereignty against the Antarctic 
Treaty that we believe only a Coast Guard cutter or a U.S. 
Naval vessel can provide.
    Other than that, there really aren't that many heavy 
icebreakers in the commercial sector that could be contracted 
by the National Science Foundation to do that mission.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. Well, my time is----
    Admiral Gautier [interrupting]. At least that we are aware 
of.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. My time is expired. Thank you for 
your answers, I really appreciate it.
    Mr. Carbajal--or Mr. Larsen.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
    To start on the Polar Security Cutter, how does the 
anticipated delay of the PSCs impact the 2022 strategy in the 
Arctic? Are we going to have to delay the strategy?
    Admiral Gautier. Well, we are going off the national 
strategy for the Arctic region which presses us to provide that 
capability, not like a date certain, but it does encumber 
delays that frankly we don't like as much as anybody. The 
current contract requires a bill to 2025. We are sure that that 
is not going to be the delivery date here, but we do believe 
that this current ship builder is going to be able to start 
construction in calendar year 2024, and our current estimate of 
the time necessary to build, we think they will be able to 
produce an icebreaker heavy by the end of 2028 or 2029.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Can you confidently have any sea 
presence above a certain latitude on the water, and what is 
that latitude, as it stands today?
    Admiral Gautier. In the absence of a heavy icebreaker, we 
do have the medium icebreaker, Coast Guard cutter Healy, which 
does patrol every summer in the Arctic and, in fact, every 
other year has been making a trip to the North Pole, and then 
this last trip is just about to complete an around the world 
trip that had it going over the northern coast of Russia right 
off their exclusive economic zone. So, the Healy is a very 
capable ship. We do need to do a service life extension on 
Healy, it was built in 1999, and we do need congressional 
support to do that.
    We can get National Security Cutters north of the Bering 
into the Chukchi Sea seasonally during the summer season, and 
we do that as much as we can.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. And then while that is delayed, 
is that impacting the plans for the homeporting at the Base 
Seattle or are there other issues involved with a delay there?
    Admiral Gautier. We are continuing to pursue that 
aggressively, Congressman. And here is another area where we do 
need some pretty substantial congressional support. We are 
working on the first half of the first phase in terms of the 
dredging of the current Coast Guard base, the Coast Guard slip, 
and we have sufficient money to complete about half of that 
first phase.
    But we have asked in the 2024 budget for $130 million in 
order to complete that first phase so that we can at least get 
started on the homeporting project for four icebreakers there.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Yes. Shifting to the Indo-
Pacific, are there countries that we want to have relationships 
with, Coast Guard to coast guard, or Coast Guard to maritime 
law enforcement relationships that we don't have?
    Admiral Gautier. For almost every country, sir, there is a 
constant request and desire to tighten and strengthen the 
relationship with the United States Coast Guard. There are some 
obvious countries where we do not and probably do not desire to 
have relationships there.
    We are pursuing a couple of countries, though, with 
longstanding conversations, places like the Solomon Islands and 
other places that have not yet sort of fully embraced the 
relationship with the United States. We are continuing to 
pursue that.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. So, their presence in their water 
is--the way I look at it, presence equals sovereignty, so, if 
we can't be in our part of the Arctic and defend that and plant 
our flag metaphorically there, then it is like we don't own it 
at all. And so, for these countries as well, is the Coast Guard 
the best service--why is the Coast Guard the better service to 
reach out to these countries in order to show them how best to 
defend their sovereign water?
    Admiral Gautier. In terms of the Indo-Pacific states?
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Yes, sorry.
    Admiral Gautier. Yes. Because we are in a strategic 
competition with competitors that are seeking to turn countries 
away from the West and undermine the international order, so, 
as part of the grand strategy in the United States as penned in 
the Indo-Pacific Strategy, it is incumbent upon us and 
especially the Coast Guard with our special set of capabilities 
and authorities that our partner nations want and want help 
from and want to partner with, we then can provide the kind of 
governance that they seek to counter sort of the corrosive and 
erosive effects of the competitors in the region.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Yes. Just in the last 15 seconds, 
I will just thank you for your comments at the end of your 
testimony. I appreciate hearing that. A few other committees 
over here are starting to look at the issue, sexual assault, 
sexual harassment. But that said, we will on this committee 
continue to lead on the oversight on that, and I look forward 
to hearing more from the Coast Guard and Coast Guard responding 
to our request on those issues.
    Admiral Gautier. Welcome that, sir.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thank you. Yield back.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. Mr. Babin, you are recognized for 5 
minutes.
    Dr. Babin. Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    And, Vice Admiral, thank you for being here. It is good to 
meet you at headquarters the other night, enjoyed it, seeing 
some of your other folks there as well.
    The entire country is feeling the pain of historic 
inflation right now that we are dealing with, and I imagine 
that inflation is having a pretty good impact on the Coast 
Guard's infrastructure projects, maintenance, service, and 
assets, et cetera. And I wonder and really worry about some of 
the newer more junior enlisted Coasties that are trying to pay 
rent in places that were already expensive a few years ago that 
have now been hit by out-of-control inflation for the last 2\1/
2\ years.
    I would like to hear from you briefly how inflation is 
impacting the Coast Guard's national security mission.
    Admiral Gautier. Thanks for that question very much, 
Congressman. I think just like ordinary Americans, our 
frontline sentinels have suffered in the past from just higher 
costs of living in general, and then in particular, where Coast 
Guard men and women live on the coast in many areas that tend 
to be sort of vacation areas and things like that, housing is a 
particular challenge, and then getting medical services as 
well. So, enduring congressional support in terms of base pay 
and our base allowance for housing, medical support, and things 
like that, we would be grateful for.
    Dr. Babin. Great, thank you. I am also interested in 
discussing some of the Coast Guard's unmanned assets. I 
understand that MQ-9s are being utilized to some capacity in 
the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific for counterdrug missions. 
What unmanned technologies are being used in the Indo-Pacific, 
and how does the Coast Guard plan to employ them within the 
Arctic region?
    Admiral Gautier. Large unmanned systems like the MQ-9 are 
very, very capable, and recognized that early on. The Coast 
Guard and Customs and Border Protection created a joint program 
office in order to jointly operate MQ-9s. We have not operated 
any in the Pacific yet. We are operating--CPB operates 
predominantly, obviously, on the border and is doing more so in 
Puerto Rico, and we are learning lessons from that.
    In the meantime, we have had longstanding medium range 
unmanned aircraft operating off of our National Security 
Cutters in the Pacific predominantly on counterdrug and illegal 
fishing patrols. Terrific capability as well. We are going to 
be fielding more into the Pacific, I think, as we learn more 
about how these particular capabilities fit in the inventory.
    Dr. Babin. OK, thank you. How do small drones factor into 
the Coast Guard's operations and national security mission, and 
does the Coast Guard plan to expand its fleet of secured 
drones, and if so, how?
    Admiral Gautier. We field quite a bit of small drones 
across the Coast Guard, sir. What we do is, we basically 
authorize local units to go out and purchase sort of the secure 
American-built drones, and they can use them for whatever. That 
could be inspecting a building, that could be looking at aids 
to navigation, and things like that. Those are pretty 
ubiquitous in the Coast Guard inventory.
    The other thing we do that is less known is, we have a 
counter-UAS capability in the Coast Guard in order to protect 
sort of maritime secure facilities, major events, and things 
like that. That authorization is expiring on February 2nd in 
the PETA Act, and we would ask Congress to renew that. It is a 
DHS authority, so, on behalf of DHS, we would ask for that to 
be renewed.
    Dr. Babin. Absolutely. Thank you. Last question. In July 
2022, the National Marine Fisheries Service released a proposed 
rule titled, Amendments to the North Atlantic Right Whale 
Vessel Strike Reduction Rule, which would expand the geographic 
range and number of vessels that would be subject to a 10-knot 
speed restriction along virtually the entire Atlantic coast for 
half of the year. This would apply to tens of thousands of 
vessels not currently subject to speed restrictions.
    From what I understand, the rule was developed without 
meaningful consultation with the Coast Guard, and even though 
the brunt of the enforcement burden would fall on the Coast 
Guard, the draft rule states, `` . . . we anticipate receiving 
continued assistance from enforcement partners such as the U.S. 
Coast Guard and State law enforcement agencies.'' So, how would 
the additional burden of being responsible for essentially 
writing speeding tickets all along the Atlantic coast 
negatively impact the Coast Guard's ability to carry out its 
critical national security mission? If you don't mind.
    Admiral Gautier. Not at all. So, we have a longstanding 
productive relationship with NOAA and National Marine 
Fisheries. They asked for a consultation for us on this 
particular draft of the notice of proposed rulemaking. We 
provided them specific information that they look for in terms 
of like AIS coverage, in terms of the relationship between a 
vessel pilot and a vessel master, some very specific stuff as 
they have crafted the notice of proposed rulemaking.
    So, with regards to enforce--so that--our relationship is 
strong. But with regards to enforcement, our understanding is 
some of these areas are pretty expansive. Not all of the 
vessels that may apply for this speed restriction have AIS, so, 
admittedly there are going to be challenges to enforcement of 
that, and the Coast Guard may need some resources if it does 
indeed fall on us to enforce it.
    Dr. Babin. Yes, sir. Thank you very much.
    And my time is expired, so, I yield back. Thank you.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. Mr. Carbajal, you are recognized 
for 5 minutes.
    Mr. Carbajal. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
    Admiral Gautier, the Coast Guard is facing a $3 billion 
infrastructure backlog and 4,000 personnel shortage. How will 
the backlog and the shortage impact operations in the Arctic 
and the Indo-Pacific?
    Admiral Gautier. Well first off, Congressman, as the 
Commandant has said, to address some of these shortfalls you've 
described, the Coast Guard needs to grow into a $20 billion 
organization, and we need to do that within a 10-year 
timeframe. The 3-percent increases that we are getting budget 
year by budget year just keep us level with inflation. We need 
to boost that with Congress' help to 5 percent.
    With regards to the Arctic, it has impacted the time and 
schedule for building things like the Polar Security Cutters 
because those have been subject to inflation since the original 
inception and requirements were established. So, inflation does 
cut into it, but we remain committed with Congress' help to do 
things like purchase a commercially available icebreaker and 
homeport that, to create a world-class home port in Seattle, to 
build three Polar Security Cutters and then move out into 
Medium Endurance Cutters. It all is incumbent about how much 
support we get from Congress.
    Mr. Carbajal. Thank you. Admiral Gautier, I have had the 
opportunity to see firsthand how the Coast Guard leverages its 
unique international role. In Panama, the Coast Guard lends 
capacity as well as technical expertise on illegal, unreported, 
and unregulated fishing; maritime safety including in the 
Panama Canal; drug and migrant interdiction, and more. What is 
the Coast Guard doing in the Indo-Pacific, and how important is 
its presence?
    Admiral Gautier. The easiest way maybe to describe--and 
thanks very much for making that trip to Panama--is along three 
lines of effort in the Indo-Pacific. First is persistent 
presence with things like cutters and aircraft and people, 
teams and things like that. The second is advancing meaningful 
engagements to create and build the partnerships that are so 
important to us. That again is we do capacity building, we do 
training, we do foreign military sails of our retired cutters. 
And then lastly, it is all to advance maritime governance. We 
work through the International Maritime Organization to 
establish and strengthen the sort of guiding principles and 
authorities that we hold to in the international community. And 
everything that we do to do things like help enforcing IUUF in 
other countries' exclusive economic zones helps us get after 
the maritime governance piece.
    Mr. Carbajal. The Coast Guard force commitments to DoD 
Indo-Pacific Command has increased in recent years. Does the 
Coast Guard anticipate this trend of increased engagement in 
the region continuing?
    Admiral Gautier. We have been pushing forth, Ranking 
Member, to try to grow our capabilities within our budget in 
the Indo-Pacific while we maintain our frontline services to 
the American people in the United States in our OCONUS States 
and Territories. But we have had some trade space to do more 
things like National Security Cutter patrols, things like China 
Strait transits, transits into the Indian Ocean on occasion, 
doing things like getting our Fast Response Cutters to the far 
reaches of places like Palau and Papua New Guinea with 
shipriders to help them enforce their own places and exclusive 
economic zones.
    But we have to take a balanced approach to make sure that 
we mind and put on--have the priority of providing domestic 
services first and foremost.
    Mr. Carbajal. And can you do that without more resources?
    Admiral Gautier. We need more resources, Congressman. A $20 
billion Coast Guard in 10 years, we ask for your support on the 
2024 President's budget request, has a lot. It has over a half 
a billion dollars of support to the Coast Guard in the Indo-
Pacific in the 2024 budget. There is a lot there that will help 
us advance our national security interests there.
    Mr. Carbajal. Thank you very much.
    Mr. Chair, I yield back.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. Mrs. Gonzalez-Colon, you are 
recognized for 5 minutes.
    Mrs. Gonzalez-Colon. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    And good morning to our witness. I just want to say thank 
you for being here.
    My first question for you would be, the Chinese illegal, 
unreported, and unregulated fishing activities in the Indo-
Pacific region are also directly targeting the United States 
and our waters. And early this year, the House Natural 
Resources Committee, we received testimony on how Chinese 
illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing activities have 
depleted tuna stocks within American Samoa exclusive zones, 
disrupting the local economy and forcing a tuna cannery, one of 
their largest employers, not to say the only one, to 
temporarily suspend operations.
    I understand that during the Trump administration, efforts 
were being pursued to study the facility of basing Coast Guard 
cutters in American Samoa to help counter these threats and 
strengthen our presence in the southern Pacific region. Can you 
provide us an update on this? And I do understand the Service 
has limited resources, but we are facing a workforce shortage 
as well. And is there any discussion or evaluations of 
homeporting Fast Response Cutters in American Samoa, if any?
    Admiral Gautier. Congresswoman, you gave a great example of 
just many, many that Chinese IUUF does around the world.
    In terms of American Samoa specifically and the Pacific in 
general, American Samoa is absolutely critical to the United 
States. Americans live there. It has a large exclusive economic 
zone.
    We do actively--first of all, we do have Coast Guard 
members who are stationed and assigned in American Samoa, 
predominantly to do marine safety and security and waterways 
management functions. In terms of patrol and law enforcement, 
we do patrol the American Samoa exclusive economic zone with 
things like the Fast Response Cutters. They do come from Guam, 
and Guam is at some distance. But what we are able to do in 
Guam is we can cluster resources so we can reap cost savings 
and benefits there while we still are able to patrol in and 
around American Samoa without having to have one stationed 
there. We can provide that as a forward operating location, 
keep a cutter there for some period of time to do enforcement 
activities.
    Mrs. Gonzalez-Colon. And how often do we send our assets to 
American Samoa?
    Admiral Gautier. It is an occasional presence, and I can 
get you the specific information. With more Fast Response 
Cutters, we could be there more often.
    Mrs. Gonzalez-Colon. Question. I know the U.S. Navy has 
long focused on expanding its capability and capacity in the 
Indo-Pacific region, even coining the term ``Pivot to the 
Pacific.'' And given that the U.S. Navy is larger and better 
funded than the Coast Guard, why should the Coast Guard use 
your limited resources in this region?
    And I am not saying it is not worth it. I am saying, what 
capabilities does the Coast Guard provide to the U.S. that the 
U.S. Navy is not providing in the region?
    Admiral Gautier. I want to make sure I understand. What is 
the Coast Guard--I am sorry?
    Mrs. Gonzalez-Colon. What capabilities does the Coast Guard 
provide that the U.S. Navy doesn't in the Indo-Pacific region? 
And what is the Coast Guard's focus in the Indo-Pacific, having 
the U.S. Navy Fleet in the area?
    Admiral Gautier. Understand. Thank you.
    So, really, we do provide complementary capabilities, but 
the U.S. Coast Guard is different. While the Navy focuses on 
combat readiness and integrated deterrence to prevent bad 
behaviors, we are different in that we have different 
capabilities as a military organization, law enforcement, 
humanitarian service, and a regulator, to provide the sorts of 
relationship building opportunities with partner nations that 
they look to from us while the Navy continues integrated 
deterrence. We provide positive benefits as Navy prevents bad 
behaviors, I think is maybe the simplest way I can say it.
    Mrs. Gonzalez-Colon. Question, and I know I am running out 
of time. But the Healy is currently sailing home from a 
[inaudible] deployment to the Arctic. And we understand that on 
this patrol, its movements were closely monitored by Russia. 
Has the Coast Guard witnessed any changes in Russia's 
activities or posturing in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war 
in the Arctic?
    Admiral Gautier. I am sorry, my hearing is not all that 
great. Could you repeat----
    Mrs. Gonzalez-Colon [interrupting]. Has the Coast Guard 
witnessed any change in Russia's activity or posturing in the 
wake of the Russia-Ukraine war while the Healy is transiting to 
the Northern Sea Route?
    Admiral Gautier. It really has changed the relationship in 
very bad ways. We have and do maintain a functional 
relationship between the United States Coast Guard and Russia 
Border Guard because we have to. We are neighbors. And we need 
practical communications in order to do things like search and 
rescue and fisheries enforcement.
    However, we do not do any planning, any exercising with the 
Russians. We are now seeing, because of this conflict and 
because of climate change, more Russian cargo coming through 
the Northern Sea Route that come down in through the Bering 
Strait, which has a risk as well. And some of those are ice-
reinforced hulls, some of those do not have icebreaker escorts 
with them, so, they are taking a higher risk position to do 
that.
    And we do know that the Russians have militarized their 
northern coast. And it has really created an environment of 
paranoia and distrust.
    Mrs. Gonzalez-Colon. Thank you. And I yield back.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. Mr. Garamendi, you are recognized 
for 5 minutes.
    Mr. Garamendi. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    I am going to go to the polar Arctic and discuss the 
icebreaker situation in the Arctic. I am not going to beat 
around the bush. We have been at this for a decade in this 
committee, and we are not even close to getting a heavy 
icebreaker. And now it is 2028, according to your earlier 
testimony.
    My understanding is that the contract with Bollinger is 
about to tank, that is, fall apart, that Bollinger is not able 
to meet the contract obligations to build the first heavy Polar 
Security Cutter. Is that true?
    Admiral Gautier. Different words than you perhaps would 
use, Congressman. But they have been doing a baseline review, 
and they have told us they do not think they can meet the terms 
of the existing contract.
    Mr. Garamendi. OK, let's be blunt about this. They are not 
going to be able to continue under the current contract terms. 
Is that correct?
    Admiral Gautier. That is what they have told us.
    Mr. Garamendi. OK. So, what are our options? Terminate the 
contract and start over with a new bidder? That is one?
    Admiral Gautier. That is one.
    Mr. Garamendi. Option 2?
    Admiral Gautier. Option 2 would be to----
    Mr. Garamendi [interrupting]. Force them into bankruptcy 
because they cannot complete the current contract? That is 
option 2?
    Admiral Gautier. That is a possibility, yes.
    Mr. Garamendi. OK. Option 3?
    Admiral Gautier. Option 3, which is what we are evaluating 
now, we understand what they think and validate the new costs 
and timelines are, and then we find the money in order to staff 
that and get Polar Security Cutter 1 built.
    Mr. Garamendi. OK, so, we are going to rewrite--option 3 is 
rewrite the contract and go forward with Bollinger, correct?
    Admiral Gautier. Yes.
    Mr. Garamendi. OK. For the committee, we have been at this 
a long, long time. The current strategy by the Coast Guard, the 
U.S. military, and America, is to have three heavy icebreakers 
available for the Arctic and Antarctic, and five, somewhere, 
three to five medium icebreakers. That was the strategy. Is 
that still the current strategy?
    Admiral Gautier. We have updated our fleet mix, sir, that 
we now think we need eight to nine in a mix of heavies and 
mediums.
    Mr. Garamendi. So, three heavies and the rest medium?
    Admiral Gautier. We are thinking it could be three to five 
heavies and three to five mediums.
    Mr. Garamendi. This committee has wrestled with this issue 
for a long time, and we have stumbled, the Coast Guard has 
stumbled. It is time for us to get real. All of the testimony 
you have given this committee has heard, and I am sure Alaska 
is interested in this, is that we are out of luck and out of 
time. We do not have the capability of projecting the American 
presence in the Arctic, period. We don't.
    I want to put this on the table for the membership here and 
for the rest of us. And that's the time for us to get real. The 
U.S. Navy can spend an extra billion dollars or so on each and 
every one of their ships, $3 to $5 billion if they want to 
build an aircraft carrier. They have 35 guaranteed overruns, 
several hundred million dollars for each and every plane, or 
for each and every tranche of planes. It is time for the Coast 
Guard.
    I would propose that the Coast Guard take advantage of the 
current troubles that Bollinger is having and put together a 
three Polar Security Cutter program. The first one will 
probably be somewhere north of $1\1/4\ billion to $1\1/2\ 
billion. And then the followup two. Go for three Polar Security 
Cutters at once. Take advantage of the shipyard, of the first 
one, which is going to be far more expensive than anticipated, 
and then the followup on the remaining two, and that we put 
that forward.
    We cannot lose another year. We have lost a decade already. 
This has been discussed and discussed ad nauseum.
    Now, we have got to have the courage to move this thing 
forward. We cannot delay any further.
    How many heavy polar ice cutters does China have? Two. Why? 
Because they know the Arctic is important for them. How many do 
we have? We do not have one that's available, because it is in 
the Antarctic or in repair.
    So, are we ready to do this? And I would appreciate the 
Coast Guard coming forward with a specific plan to develop a 
strategy to build three Polar Security Cutters. Take the 
current problem with Bollinger as an opportunity, not as a 
problem but as an opportunity. Let them build the first one, 
hold them to very tight timeframes, very tight accounting, very 
tight review of their costs, and then follow up with the 
remaining two, taking advantage of a block buy.
    What do you think, Admiral?
    Admiral Gautier. I like your boldness, Congressman, and I 
will take that back to the Commandant and our acquisition 
folks.
    Mr. Garamendi. And you will come back to us when with a 
proposal?
    Admiral Gautier. Early in the new year.
    Mr. Garamendi. We are back here January 8.
    Admiral Gautier. OK.
    Mr. Garamendi. Why don't you deliver a Christmas present to 
the Coast Guard and to America, a solid plan to build the 
necessary icebreakers for America's presence in the Arctic? Can 
you do that?
    Admiral Gautier. We can.
    Mr. Garamendi. January 8.
    Admiral Gautier. Aye, sir.
    Mr. Garamendi. I will be here. Thank you. Yield back.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. Mr. Van Drew, you are recognized 
for 5 minutes.
    Dr. Van Drew. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I would like to 
associate myself with the remarks made by Mr. Garamendi. I 
agree. I know, once in a while we do agree, and this is 
definitely one of those cases.
    And I would like to thank you for being here, Vice Admiral. 
We appreciate it.
    China now has the world's largest coast guard, the world's 
largest coast guard. So, I am here today with serious concerns 
about the growing maritime influence of the Chinese Communist 
Party. China has made no secret of this and no secret of its 
desire to dominate the world's oceans.
    Today, China owns or operates ports at nearly 100 locations 
around the globe, in over 50 different countries. Many of these 
ports are located near strategically important maritime 
bottlenecks. The companies which own these ports--surprise, 
surprise--are ultimately controlled by the Chinese Communist 
government.
    Chinese development of its ports around the world continue 
forward in an aggressive way. They're not kidding around. 
They're serious. The situation presents serious national 
security and economic concerns for our great United States of 
America. The most obvious security concern is that China could 
convert its ports into naval military bases. This would 
instantly give China a global military reach. According to the 
Council on Foreign Relations, out of 102 known Chinese port 
projects, 70--70--of them have the physical potential for naval 
use.
    Of great concern to the Coast Guard should be the 
possibility that Chinese ports may be used to facilitate 
international black-market operations, activities like drug 
trafficking, human trafficking, weapons trafficking. Of 
immediate economic concern is China using their port 
infrastructure to steal valuable commercial data from our 
American businesses.
    In August, the United States Department of Transportation 
issued an advisory against the Chinese logistics software known 
as LOGINK. I am sure you are familiar with it. LOGINK is owned 
and controlled--surprise--by the Chinese Communist Party. It 
allows them to collect vast amounts of information on port 
activity, and it gives them a complete global picture of 
maritime activities. This software gives China incredible, 
incredible power. LOGINK provides the Chinese Communist Party 
with leverage to control international markets, steal 
proprietary data, and dominate the maritime supply chain. 
Serious stuff.
    Multiple Federal agencies have sounded the alarm on this 
threat. This affects our entire maritime supply chain. We 
cannot allow LOGINK to penetrate our domestic ports, and we 
cannot allow it to become an entrenched global standard. We 
must be sure that American commercial activities at home or 
abroad are not being compromised by the LOGINK platform.
    Vice Admiral, as the Deputy Commandant for Operations, you 
have overseen the International Port Security Program. I am 
going to ask you a few questions, and my first question here as 
quick as I can.
    Are we as secure as we can possibly be? Are we 100 percent 
buttoned up? Question number 1.
    Second question. Are we controlling illegal fishing, 
illegal drug trafficking, and illegal human trafficking? Are we 
100 percent buttoned up?
    Under the International Port Security Program, are Chinese-
owned ports, are they cooperating and are they meeting the 
expected standards on activities like I just mentioned, illegal 
fishing, drug trafficking, human trafficking, you name it? I 
will ask that first.
    Admiral Gautier. So, going through your questions one by 
one, sir, if that works, are we as secure as we can be? The 
answer to that is no. There are certainly more things that we 
can and should be doing, especially since our ports and 
international ports are predominantly private sector run.
    So, the Coast Guard plus CISA and other agencies have a 
role in that, and we work very hard domestically to try to 
stitch up those vulnerabilities.
    Likewise, on question number 2, in terms of illicit 
activity, drug smuggling, IUUF, we make humble investments for 
big impact, but we can do more with more. So, the answer to 
that question, are we buttoned up, is no, as well.
    And then in terms of China and operating ports 
internationally, we do have an International Port Security 
Program sanctioned by the International Maritime Organization, 
where we visit and validate their procedures against security 
measures that are accepted around the world. That gives us 
great insight into how ports are operating in and around the 
world. Is there more that can and should be done? Given the 
vulnerabilities you articulated in terms of the Chinese reach, 
yes.
    Dr. Van Drew. Mr. Chairman, I know I have run out of time, 
so, I am going to ask that my other questions are entered into 
the record. And Vice Admiral, I would like to thank you. This 
is not a reflection upon you, but it is a reflection upon the 
state of affairs as they are right now, and we need to do 
better. I yield back.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. Mr. Auchincloss, you are recognized 
for 5 minutes.
    Mr. Auchincloss. Thank you, Chairman.
    To start with, I want to associate myself with the comments 
from the gentleman from California about the ice cutters. I 
will cosign both his comments and his sense of urgency. And I 
also want to add my own appreciation for those Coast Guard men 
and women who were so brave this morning to share their 
harrowing experiences to help improve conditions for all 
members.
    Vice Admiral, the Coast Guard is uniquely positioned to 
counter Chinese encroachment against allies in the South China 
Sea and is a key component of the White House's Indo-Pacific 
Strategy. I am a member of the Select Committee on the Chinese 
Communist Party, and I support the administration's efforts to 
expand cooperation and deepen ties with our partners in the 
Indo-Pacific, particularly in the South China Sea, which I 
think is being overlooked a little bit with our focus on 
Taiwan. But the militarization of the South China Sea, despite 
the 2016 court ruling against China, and despite really 
multilateral opposition to it, is a huge surface area for 
inadvertent or intentional escalation that could lead to 
conflict.
    Last weekend, and this was covered in the New York Times in 
a compelling article that I am sure you read, the Chinese coast 
guard blasted water cannons to block three Filipino fisheries' 
vessels from entering the Scarborough Shoal. They were 
accompanied by other vessels using a long-range acoustic device 
which caused severe discomfort and incapacitation to some 
Filipino crew. This was documented by U.S. journalists. In 
October, the Philippines reported Chinese vessels intentionally 
colliding with its vessels on a resupply mission in the South 
China Sea.
    What does the Coast Guard need to help our allies defend 
against what you termed in your testimony the growing Chinese 
gray zone threat in the Indo-Pacific?
    Admiral Gautier. Congressman, your U.S. Coast Guard does 
have presence and reach in the South China Sea. We can do more 
with more. But I can give you a couple of examples.
    The Coast Guard leads a multination engagement program 
called the Southeast Asia Maritime Law Enforcement Initiative, 
which gives us connectivity to most Southeast Asian nation 
states which are really hungry for additional law enforcement 
capacity and capability. We are helping countries in that 
region with our bilateral relationships to establish 
multilateral relationships and meaningful operations.
    Just a few months ago, a Coast Guard cutter off of the 
Philippines did a joint exercise with the Philippine coast 
guard and the Japan coast guard, which is a pretty historic 
moment. We do a lot of training and capacity building there as 
well to help countries like the Philippines combat the very 
thing that you are describing that just shocked us all when we 
saw that on the news.
    Mr. Auchincloss. And let's imagine a scenario where the 
Coast Guard had all the funding, all the money it needed. What 
would become then the rate limiting factor for an expanded 
Indo-Pacific presence? Would it be workforce and personnel, 
would it be ports, would it be the ships themselves, would it 
be interest from potential allied partners? All the money in 
the world, what becomes the next rate limiting factor?
    Admiral Gautier. Congressman, I think you have just named a 
number of--a basket----
    Mr. Auchincloss [interrupting]. Put them in priority order 
for me.
    Admiral Gautier [continuing]. All of the above that could. 
So, for example, starting with our objective for moving from 
episodic presence to more persistent presence, we can do that 
when we get more Offshore Patrol Cutters that we can bring into 
the Bering so we can free our National Security Cutters to be 
more present in that region.
    Mr. Auchincloss. So, ships would be the next rate limiting 
factor?
    Admiral Gautier. Ships is one. We have asked for four Fast 
Response Cutters in the 2024 budget to help us get there. More 
training and capacity-building teams, more Coast Guard liaison 
officers in the region, perhaps more aircraft.
    So, I think more of those capabilities enable us to connect 
with our partners and allies in ways they appreciate.
    Mr. Auchincloss. Final question, and you mentioned this 
earlier about reauthorizing the drone program that you have to 
protect your ports. Talk a little bit more in these last 40 
seconds about what the Coast Guard is doing to lean into 
autonomous drone swarms to surveil, sense, and strike, because 
that is clearly going to be a key capacity in such a huge area 
as the South China Sea.
    Admiral Gautier. We are just in the very early stages of 
implementing----
    Mr. Auchincloss [interrupting]. Are you working with the 
Navy and the DoD on this stuff?
    Admiral Gautier. Absolutely. The 4th Fleet is making great 
gains in that place, and we are tied at the hip with them on 
that.
    Mr. Auchincloss. Do you have the commercial access that you 
need to AI and hardware talent?
    Admiral Gautier. We do, but we are learning. This is a new 
journey for us. We are piggybacking a lot on what the 
intelligence community is doing in terms of AI, in terms of 
object detection, so that our sensors can actually find things 
without a human eye, making gains there as well.
    Mr. Auchincloss. OK. To be continued. I will yield back, 
Chair.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. Mr. Ezell, you are recognized for 5 
minutes.
    Mr. Ezell. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The only thing about 
being a freshman is all the good questions have been asked by 
the time it gets to be my turn.
    But I thank you, Vice Admiral, and your staff. The Coast 
Guard has been very responsive every time I have called and 
asked, and during my law enforcement career, dealing with the 
Coast Guard.
    Listening to what all has been asked and said today, I am 
very concerned about going forward and the protection that is 
offered by the Coast Guard not only to the homeland but around 
the world. Listening to what was said about Bollinger Marine, I 
understand that Bollinger just recently got to the point where 
they bought the other shipyard out that was building the Coast 
Guard cutter. Is that correct?
    Admiral Gautier. That is correct. They are building our 
Polar Security Cutter.
    Mr. Ezell. So, what they did was they picked up on another 
company and they were, whatever, trying to repair the mistakes 
that had been made? Or could you tell me a little bit about the 
transition from the former company now to Bollinger and where 
that's at?
    Admiral Gautier. Sure. The former company, VT Halter, 
decided that it wanted to sell that shipyard. The combined U.S. 
Navy-U.S. Coast Guard Joint Program Office did an evaluation of 
Bollinger to ensure that they, what we thought, they had the 
capability in order to continue that particular project should 
they buy the shipyard. That was endorsed. They purchased the 
shipyard.
    Bollinger has made some substantial movements and advances 
in this particular project, and I think we are encouraged with 
the forward momentum.
    Mr. Ezell. I have been down there several times and met 
with the workforce at Bollinger in some of their other 
shipyards, and it seems that they have a handle on work. They 
seem to have a good workforce. I was listening to everything 
that has been said today. Is there any opportunity going 
forward that Bollinger could complete what they have bought 
into?
    Admiral Gautier. Congressman, we do have some challenges 
ahead. I think Congressman Garamendi in his questions raised 
some of those challenges that we have. But those challenges 
aside, I think we feel confident. And I just visited the 
shipyard with some of our senior acquisition folks in October 
and saw it firsthand. With where they are in the detailed 
design, and with their baseline evaluation, we think we are 
going to get a much clearer idea of cost and schedule from them 
between now and March, the first 3 months of calendar year 
2024. With that, we believe that they are competent to begin 
construction in calendar year 2024 to get us to a place where 
we could see the first Polar Security Cutter in 2028, 2029.
    Mr. Ezell. Very good. All right, well, Mr. Chairman, I 
yield back. Thank you. Thank you, Admiral.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. Mrs. Peltola, you are recognized 
for 5 minutes.
    Mrs. Peltola. Thank you, Chairman Webster.
    Good afternoon, Vice Admiral Gautier. I am encouraged by 
how many of my colleagues have mentioned Alaska and the need 
for a polar cutter, an ice cutter. And I, too, am frustrated by 
the projected cost overruns and the protracted timeline on the 
Polar Security Cutter program. And, of course, this is of 
national strategic significance, but it's also a project that 
is of life-and-death importance to my constituents in Alaska.
    It's not hard to imagine a scenario during busier times, 
lots going on in the Arctic, where multiple situations could 
occur at once, where an icebreaker's presence is needed. And my 
question is, in the event of multiple crises or multiple 
events, and we don't have the ability to summon an American 
icebreaker, what is the Coast Guard's contingency plan?
    Admiral Gautier. Congresswoman, we do have agreements 
through the Arctic Council structure and the Arctic Coast Guard 
Forum, with specific plans in place where we can have mutual 
assistance. So, in a case with the vastness of the Arctic and 
the challenges with resourcing, it really is an all-in, 
whoever-is-first-there sort of proposition.
    A cruise ship just grounded in September off of Greenland. 
It's the Danish search and rescue region. But it was the first 
fishing boat that could get out there that helped free up that 
vessel.
    Mrs. Peltola. All right. My second question is that the 
Coast Guard receives significantly smaller amounts of money 
than its DoD counterparts. In particular, in the context of 
your broad and challenging--the broad missions that you all are 
involved in, and if the Polar Security Cutter procurement were 
to go over budget, does the Coast Guard have the ability to 
fund an acquisition of the Polar Security Cutter's size and 
complexity without having to make deep cuts elsewhere?
    Admiral Gautier. Congresswoman, we are evaluating options, 
because we do believe that this particular contract is going to 
run over budget and over time from what the original contract 
was. There are some options in terms of flexing money between 
the funding that we have with the second Polar Security Cutter 
in order to really drive in and make sure we get the first 
Polar Security Cutter.
    In any event, to get to what we think we need, we are going 
to need a lot of congressional support.
    Mrs. Peltola. So, you don't have funding elsewhere that you 
could dive into?
    Admiral Gautier. We do not have the ability in our budget 
to find appropriations in order to plus up that particular 
contract.
    Mrs. Peltola. Sure. OK, thank you for that.
    And when you were going over the Coast Guard's Arctic 
strategic outlook implementation plan, it references a need to 
expand Arctic surface capabilities and associated support 
infrastructure shoreside. And I am wondering if you would be 
able to provide specifics about the kind of infrastructure you 
are referring to or the communities that you are interested in 
working with.
    Admiral Gautier. Yes, Congresswoman. We start, I think, 
first and foremost with our preeminent base in Alaska, and 
that's Kodiak. And we have been making advances, and we need to 
make more in terms of providing the piers and the housing to do 
things like homeport two Offshore Patrol Cutters, which will be 
coming to Kodiak, Alaska, and the housing and ancillary 
services.
    We know we need to build out other locations to homeport 
Fast Response Cutters in Sitka and in Seward to help support 
operations in and around Alaska. We are transitioning our fleet 
of aircraft in Kodiak to an all H-60 fleet. We mean to 
eventually decommission our H-65s. And so, that is in the plans 
as well with blade-fold, tail-fold aircraft. We know that we 
will need to homeport a commercially available icebreaker if we 
have congressional support to provide that. We have committed 
to the Alaska delegation that that will be in Alaska as well.
    Mrs. Peltola. Outstanding. Thank you, Vice Admiral. And I 
want to commend the Coast Guard on all of the real substantive 
efforts and forward progress on housing and childcare in many 
of your stations. Thank you.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. Ms. Scholten, you are recognized 
for 5 minutes.
    Ms. Scholten. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
    Thank you, Vice Admiral Gautier, for taking time to be with 
us today. This is such an important hearing, obviously, as the 
testimony and questions here today discuss. Of course, the 
Coast Guard plays such a critical role in national security. 
And I want to associate myself with the comments of our ranking 
member and Representative Auchincloss as well about the 
critical role that dedicated servicemembers play in supporting 
the Coast Guard and ensuring that national security, and I 
encourage you to do all that you can to keep our servicemembers 
safe and undistracted. We are grateful for the brave testimony 
of the servicemembers who testified in the Senate this morning. 
Thank you.
    While we are talking about icebreakers, the Great Lakes 
would like a word. We know how important economic security also 
is to national security. And the Great Lakes region contributes 
billions to our national economy every year. Maintaining safe 
passages, open passages through the Great Lakes year-round is 
critical to that end.
    And in order to maintain commercial navigation throughout 
the year, Lake Michigan needs more modern icebreakers. Funding 
for new icebreakers was included in the fiscal year 2023 
appropriations. Has the Coast Guard made any progress in 
procuring a new heavy-duty icebreaker in the year since the 
bill's passage?
    Admiral Gautier. Congresswoman, I am a Mackinaw sailor 
myself, so, I know exactly what you are talking about. And the 
Coast Guard, the Commandant, has committed to construction of a 
second medium icebreaker like the Mackinaw in order to get 
after what you are describing.
    In terms of the funding strategy, we do have money or a 
request in the 2024 budget to get the program office running 
and start looking at the long leadtime materials for this 
particular asset.
    Ms. Scholten. At this particular time, do you have any 
projections on timeline?
    Admiral Gautier. It is all dependent really on what outyear 
funding is going to look like for us as we put together the 
program. I don't have a great estimate for you right now.
    Ms. Scholten. If you wouldn't mind getting those and 
circling back with us, we would be grateful.
    Admiral Gautier. Certainly.
    Ms. Scholten. So, I want to talk a little bit more broadly 
about funding. We narrowly avoided a shutdown last month, with 
a temporary stopgap measure, of course, as you know. Many of us 
continue to be concerned about the impacts of further 
continuing resolutions in place of appropriations. If Congress 
fails to pass these essential appropriations, can you talk 
specifically about national security missions of the Coast 
Guard and how the disruption in funding would impact the Coast 
Guard's foreign partnerships?
    Admiral Gautier. In terms of a lapse of appropriations 
scenario?
    Ms. Scholten. Lapse of appropriations.
    Admiral Gautier. Well, a couple of thoughts. We have been 
there. Unfortunately, the Coast Guard in 2018 and 2019 had a 
lapse of appropriation. DoD did not at the time.
    We will continue our Coast Guard frontline missions with 
our Active Duty, Reserve, and our accepted civilian individuals 
on those most critical national security, search and rescue, 
lifesaving, life-sustaining missions. That will not be 
impacted. But it's at the cost of our people, because they 
won't be paid, and that creates considerable anxiety, economic 
stress, that we hope to avoid.
    Ms. Scholten. Thank you. I yield back.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. OK, well, I don't see anybody else 
that's ready to speak, so, that brings conclusion to the 
meeting.
    However, I would like to say that we support the request 
for additional moneys that are in the budget and so forth. We 
support that. We also will look into the date that you are 
saying that reauthorization needs to take place for the drones 
and so forth. We will check that out and see what comes of it. 
We hope we can fix that.
    And so, no further business to come before this hearing, 
it's adjourned.
    [Whereupon, at 4:05 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]

                               Appendix

                              ----------                              


    Questions to Vice Admiral Peter Gautier, Deputy Commandant for 
       Operations, U.S. Coast Guard, from Hon. Jefferson Van Drew

    Question 1. What security concerns does the Coast Guard have in 
relation to the LOGINK software?
    Answer. LOGINK is an integrated logistics platform sponsored by the 
PRC government. Like any such network, LOGINK may contain information 
which, if available to the PRC government, may provide information 
about U.S. cargo and U.S. government logistics.

    Question 2. Is there any legislative action Congress should take in 
response?
    Answer. U.S. Coast Guard can provide views on future legislative 
text that Congress develops, in accordance with Office of Management 
and Budget and Department of Homeland Security processes.

    Questions to Vice Admiral Peter Gautier, Deputy Commandant for 
           Operations, U.S. Coast Guard, from Hon. Mike Ezell

    Question 1. The William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (P.L. 116-283) commissioned a 
study, which ultimately will be utilized by the Coast Guard to provide 
recommendations on how the service could enhance the efficiency of its 
resources, specifically in relation to liquefied natural gas tank 
vessels.
    Would adopting policies, such as adopting a risk-based approach for 
inspecting all tank vessels, free up resources that could be redirected 
towards other missions with implications for national security?
    Answer. The study commissioned by section 8254 of the William M. 
(Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2021 was specific to the Certificate of Compliance program--which 
pertains to foreign liquefied natural gas tank vessels. Adopting 
policies such as a risk-based approach for inspecting all foreign tank 
vessels would allow the Coast Guard to utilize inspection resources 
more efficiently and may serve to avert delays at particularly busy 
ports.

    Question 2. How do small drones factor into the Coast Guard's 
operations and national security mission, and how does the Coast Guard 
plan to expand your fleet of secure drones?
    Answer. Coast Guard is employing the use of small, secure drones 
(commonly referred to as BlueUAS) across multiple statutory missions. 
These systems are proving to be mission enablers, allowing operators in 
the field to quickly obtain localized aerial imagery to support mission 
needs at low cost and minimal risk. The Coast Guard is expanding its 
use of small drones by equipping field units with approved BlueUAS 
systems on an as needed basis.

                                   [all]