Publicly Released: Oct 29, 2020. The Coast Guard’s proposed The Coast Guard exercised contract options to begin construction of the lead OPC and acquire long lead-time materials for the second OPC on September 28, 2018. The Coast Guard will work with ESG to establish new cost and schedule targets under the contract and continue OPC production at ESG’s facilities. The Coast Guard opened access to the offshore patrol cutter (OPC) technical library Aug. 3. The Coast Guard—a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—is planning to spend over $12 billion to acquire a fleet of 25 OPCs. Instructions for accessing the OPC technical library can be found as Notice USCG-OPCSTAGE2-2020 at beta.sam.gov. The Coast Guard and Eastern Shipbuilding Group commenced cutting steel for the first offshore patrol cutter (OPC), Argus, in Panama City, Florida, Jan. 7, 2019. Additionally, the OPC has been touted as a next generation ship, and the most technologically advanced vessel the Coast Guard has ever operated. Overlapping Programs Could Better Collaborate to Share Information and Identify Potential Security Gaps, Most Acquisition Programs Are Meeting Goals but Data Provided to Congress Lacks Context Needed For Effective Oversight, Actions Needed to Improve National Vessel Documentation Center Operations, Information on Federal Agencies' Process for Acquiring Private Land for Barriers, TSA Needs to Establish Metrics and Evaluate Third Party Testing Outcomes for Screening Technologies, DHS Has Opportunities to Improve Its Component Acquisition Oversight, Additional Actions Needed to Strengthen FEMA's Individuals and Households Program, FEMA Individuals and Households Program Applicant Data 2016 – 2018, Select Disaster Profiles for FEMA's Individuals and Households Program 2016-2018, DHS Could Use Available Data to Better Plan Outreach to Facilities Excluded from Anti-Terrorism Standards, Cybersecurity Challenges Facing the Nation – High Risk Issue, Ensuring the Effective Protection of Technologies Critical to U.S. National Security Interests - High Risk Issue, Federal Grants to State and Local Governments, National Flood Insurance Program - High Risk Issue. Publicly Released: Oct 20, 2020. Participation in industry studies is not a pre-requisite for submitting a DD&C proposal. The Coast Guard's determination to deliver the OPCs in a timely manner has driven the program through key acquisition decisions despite significant design, testing, schedule, and cost risks, which remained or were exacerbated after the hurricane (see figure). GAO reviewed Coast Guard program and contract documents, analyzed Coast Guard data, and interviewed Coast Guard and DHS officials. The Coast Guard awarded the company a $110-million contract to design the OPC and build the first hull, with options for eight more ships. Coast Guard officials describe the OPC and PSC programs as the service’s highest acquisition priorities. The service needs the 25 new cutters soon to replace others that are more than 50 years old, but the hurricane added delays and cost. Published: Oct 20, 2020. (Recommendation 3), Agency Affected: Department of Homeland Security: United States Coast Guard, Recommendation: The Commandant of the Coast Guard should ensure the Coast Guard Component Acquisition Executive revises Coast Guard's acquisition policy to include criteria and a methodology for demonstrating design maturity for shipbuilding programs that are aligned with shipbuilding best practices, including specifying the completion of basic and functional designs and maturing critical technologies to a TRL of 7. The damage inflicted on the Eastern Shipbuilding facilities by Hurricane Michael in October 2018 resulted in the sea service granting relief to the shipbuilder, reducing its planned construction to four OPCs instead on nine and deciding to recompete the remainder of the OPC … (Recommendation 8), Looking for more? Proceeding towards OPC 3 construction before stabilizing the design—including maturing the design drawings of major ship systems—increases the risk of construction rework if changes are needed. The awardees will also discuss how they would prepare the OPC functional design for production. Published: Jan 19, 2021. The U.S. Coast Guard updated the technical library and provided a draft solicitation for the offshore patrol cutter (OPC) on Oct. 9.This draft solicitation contains information for potential offerors about the bidding process and award evaluation factors for the follow-on The Coast Guard authorized the start of construction for the first two OPCs despite not having a stable design, which is inconsistent with shipbuilding best practices. Publicly Released: Nov 23, 2020. Offshore Patrol Cutter Program Moved Forward Despite Major Risks. Suite 200 The first OPC was funded in FY2018. These awards support the Coast Guard’s strategy to mitigate OPC program risk and establish a new, fair and open competitive environment to complete the OPC program of record. Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information. Based on their analyses, the awardees will recommend to the Coast Guard potential strategies and approaches for the follow-on detail design and construction (DD&C). Unstable Design. for the U.S. Coast Guard’s offshore patrol cutter (OPC) #2. The Coast Guard’s now-under-construction and rapidly emerging Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) ship will hit the ocean next year, bringing new strategic and tactical dimensions to homeland defense, multi-service data-sharing and many pressing maritime security Recommendation: The DHS Secretary should ensure the DHS Under Secretary for Management directs the Coast Guard to revise OPC's acquisition program baseline for stage 1 to include OPC's delivery dates. Publicly Released: Sep 30, 2020. This could further delay schedules and increase costs. These key analyses include varying assumptions to determine how sensitive the estimates are to various factors and quantifying the effects of potential risks. This is the component's highest investment priority and will help ensure a variety of missions, such as drug and migrant interdiction, are carried out in offshore waters once its aging Medium Endurance Cutters are decommissioned. These awards support the Coast Guard’s strategy to mitigate OPC program risk and complete the program of record by establishing a new, fair and open competitive environment to complete the OPC program of record. What GAO Found. The Coast Guard needs a major injection of additional funding to keep pace with global challenges, the service’s commandant said Jan. 13. Industry studies contracts were awarded to: Under their respective contracts, the awardees will assess OPC design and technical data, provided by the Coast Guard, and the program’s construction approach. Delivery of the second OPC, to be named Chase, is scheduled to occur in 2023. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) announced the award of Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) industry studies contracts to eight shipbuilders on March 20. Published: Nov 17, 2020. WASHINGTON — The U.S. Coast Guard has awarded eight offshore patrol cutter (OPC) industry studies contracts, the service announced in a release. Deficient and Optimistic Schedule. (Graphic: Eastern Shipbuilding Group.) The OPC will provide a capability bridge between the national security cutter, which patrols the open ocean in the most demanding maritime environments, and the fast response cutter, which serves closer to shore. (Recommendation 4), Recommendation: The DHS Secretary should ensure the DHS Under Secretary for Management directs the Coast Guard, prior to approval of construction start for OPC 3, to identify the associated cost, schedule, and operational risks of the program's testing strategy for stage 1; and document these analyses in an updated test and evaluation master plan. WASHINGTON — The U.S. Coast Guard has awarded eight offshore patrol cutter (OPC) industry studies contracts, the service announced in a release. Florida-based Eastern Shipbuilding Group has cut the first steel for the US Coast Guard’s (USCG) second offshore patrol cutter (OPC). Toll free: 800.356.5760 The Coast Guard authorized the start of construction for the first two OPCs despite not having a stable design, which, says GAO, is inconsistent with shipbuilding best practices. The Coast Guard ordered construction of the second OPC and acquisition of long lead-time material for the third OPC April 2. The OPCs will replace the service’s aging medium-endurance cutters, which are becoming increasingly expensive to maintain and operate. The cutting of steel started the fabrication and assembly of the cutter’s hull, and ESG is to complete keel laying of Chase […] Acquisition of the offshore patrol cutter (OPC) is the Coast Guard’s highest investment priority. Published: Oct 29, 2020. The Coast Guard on Friday said it had exercised more than $400 million in contract options toward its ongoing surface fleet modernization, including the construction contract with Eastern Shipbuilding for its first of 25 planned medium-endurance Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPC). Publicly Released: Dec 16, 2020. Construction on the first ship in a new class of US Coast Guard cutters started with a steel cutting ceremony at Eastern Shipbuilding Group’s facilities in Panama City, Florida, on January 7. Browse all our products here, Explore our Key Issues on Homeland Security. The OPC will feature increased range and endurance, more powerful weapons, a larger flight deck, and improved C4ISR equipment, and will accommodate aircraft and boat operations in higher sea states. The Coast Guard is using a deliberative, two-phased design-build strategy to acquire the OPC. The Coast Guard divided the Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) program into two stages and revised its cost and schedule goals following widespread disruptions from Hurricane Michael in October 2018, which led the shipbuilder to request … Other nations are beefing up their fleets, he noted, including in the Indo-Pacific region, Adm. Karl Schultz noted during a speech at the Surface Navy Association’s annual symposium, which was held virtually this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Provides the midrange capability in the Coast Guard's layered defense concept, filling the role between the NSC and FRC and replacing the service's two classes of aging medium endurance cutters. (Recommendation 1), Agency Affected: Department of Homeland Security, Recommendation: The DHS Secretary should ensure the DHS Under Secretary for Management directs the Coast Guard to include in OPC's acquisition program baseline for stage 2 OPC's delivery dates when the stage 2 acquisition program baseline is established and approved at ADE 2B. Published: Dec 16, 2020. For more information, contact Marie A. Mak at (202) 512-4841 or makm@gao.gov. Notional OPC design is 360-feet long, a 54-foot beam, and 17-foot draft. Rendering of the Coast Guard's Offshore Patrol Cutter. 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