Coast Guard: Condition of Some Aids-to-Navigation and Domestic Icebreaking Vessels Has Declined; Effect on Mission Performance Appears Mixed
Abstract
The marine transportation system is a critical part of the nations infrastructure. To facilitate the safety and efficiency of this system, the Coast Guard maintains aids-to-navigation (ATON), such as buoys and beacons, and conducts domestic icebreaking in the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway, and northeast coast. To conduct these missions, the Coast Guard has a fleet of more than 200 vessels, ranging from 225-foot seagoing buoy tenders and 140-foot domestic icebreakers to 21-foot boats. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, many of these assets took on additional responsibilities for security patrols and other homeland security duties. Although some assets have been recently acquired, many others are reaching or have exceeded their design service lives, raising concerns about how well and for how much longer these older assets may be able to carry out their missions. In response, GAO examined (1) recent trends in the amount of time these assets have spent performing missions; (2) asset condition and its effect on mission performance; and (3) the actions taken by the Coast Guard to continue to achieve the missions of these assets.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 22, 2006
- Accession Number
- AD1152154
Entities
People
- Christopher Hatscher
- Chuck Bausell
- Friendly Vang-johnson
- Geoffrey Hamilton
- Gladys Toro
- Melanie Brown
- Michele C. Fejfar
- Stan Stenersen
- Stephanie Sand
- Stephen L. Caldwell
- Steve Calvo
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office