RamonLopez/WASHINGTON DC
The US Coast Guard (USCG) is looking for new hardware to maintain its core humanitarian, law enforcement and military missions into the 21st century, both in coastal/inland waterways, and for missions out at sea, or "deepwater".
With the deepwater systems reaching the end of their service lives, the Coast Guard has initiated the long-term Integrated Deepwater Systems Capability Replacement Project, known simply as Deepwater, to upgrade or replace nearly 100 ageing cutters and patrol boats and over 200 aircraft.
As many as 96 Eurocopter HH-65A Dolphin short-range recovery helicopters and 42 Sikorsky HH-60J Jayhawk medium-range recovery helicopters will be retired. About 30 Lockheed Martin HC-130H Hercules long-range surveillance aircraft and 41 Dassault HU-25 Falcon medium-range surveillance aircraft may also go.
By far its largest ever acquisition project, the Coast Guard estimates that the Deepwater bill will be at least $10 billion, with an initial $300 million in fiscal year 2001, and $500 million annually over the next 19 years.
The service, meanwhile, is taking a new tack in acquiring a package of ships, aircraft, communications gear and sensors. Instead of buying the items piecemeal, the Deepwater strategy involves an integrated systems approach.
"Deepwater is a concept that is perfect timing for the government with all its desires for reform, improvement and better government-but it isn't free," says USCG Capt Craig Schnappinger, Deepwater project manager.
The project will address critical issues, including the types and combinations of assets that are most effective in carrying out the various USCG missions. Life cycle cost will also be addressed, as will procedural changes that could improve efficiency and effectiveness.
The new procurement philosophy is already guiding the first phase of Deepwater. Since August, three diverse industry teams have been working under $7 million contracts to develop conceptual designs that will lead to a second phase of work and to a Deepwater acquisition contract in January 2002.
US shipbuilder Avondale Industries is heading an alliance that includes Boeing and Raytheon Systems. Lockheed Martin, on the other hand, is working with Litton Ingalls Shipbuilding and Bell Helicopter. Science Applications International (SAIC) is leading the third study team with support from Marinette Marine, Sikorsky and Bath Iron Works.
Allan Boetig, head of the Avondale Deepwater Alliance, says it "-is proceeding down a path that includes modelling and simulation. We are looking at the full range of shipborne and airborne alternatives." He says: "Affordability remains a key issue." Jana Welsh, Bell's Deepwater programme manager, says Bell is the aviation lead for the Lockheed Martin team. Trade studies are under way to identify airborne requirements and consider integration issues.
The goal is to reduce the USCG's fleet, replacing existing aircraft with a host of new airborne assets that could include fixed-wing aircraft, rotorcraft and unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). Under consideration are Bell products, including the HV-609, a derivative of the BA609 civil tiltrotor, the larger Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey military tiltrotor, various helicopters, and the Eagle Eye tiltrotor vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAV.
But the Lockheed Martin-led team is considering the full range of aircraft in its trade studies, and Welsh is bartering data on the HV-609 with rivals for information on the Sikorsky S-92 Helibus and EH Industries EH101 helicopters, for example. Although they are rivals, Welsh says: "We have to work together somewhat. We must look at the overall picture."
The USCG wants to evaluate VTOL UAVs for drug interdiction missions, and it will participate in the US Navy's VTOL UAV demonstration involving Eagle Eye and Bombardier's CL-327 Guardian. A Coast Guard cutter may be involved in sea trials this year.
The USCG recently revamped the Deepwater programme. Phase 1, which was to end in December, has been extended until April 2001 so that the teams can complete functional design work. All three teams are expected to be carried into Deepwater Phase 2, which runs from May until July 2001, during which they will prepare their best and final offers for a decision in January 2002. The USCG is in the process of identifying the additional funding for the extended Phase 1.
Source: Flight International
