Michael Guest Asks Coast Guard Admiral About Plans To Expand US Icebreaker Fleet

Forbes Breaking News

During a House Appropriations Committee hearing prior to the congressional recess, Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS) spoke about plans to expand the US' Arctic icebreaker fleet.

Transcript

00:00to be safe and secure with their families.

00:03So I thank you, and I yield back my time,

00:06and I thank you graciously, Mr. Chairman, for your time.

00:10Yes, ma'am.

00:11Mr. Gust, you are recognized for five minutes for your questions.

00:15Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

00:16Admiral, I want to talk a little bit about the high north.

00:18I know you mentioned that in your testimony.

00:21You say on the page three of your testimony

00:23that the service's top surface acquisition priority remains

00:28the polar security cutters

00:30and expanding the ice-breaking fleet

00:32to meet the president's direction.

00:35And he said that we shall continue to invest

00:38in heavy polar ice-breaking is vital

00:40to counter foreign-malign influence

00:42and protect America's sovereign interest

00:46in the polar regions.

00:48I know that currently we are at a very strategic disadvantage

00:53when it comes to other nations.

00:55I think currently we have one heavy ice-breaker,

00:58the polar star, which is approximately 50 years in service,

01:03and then we have the Healy,

01:04which is a polar-capable ice-breaker.

01:07So two ice-breakers compared to the 50-plus

01:10that Russia currently has.

01:13We know that the high north has become very strategic

01:18and will continue to be so.

01:20And I know that there is underway the process

01:24of building the first ice-breaker, I think,

01:27in 50 years here domestically

01:28and proud that the Coast Guard is moving in that direction.

01:33But I want to just see if you can talk a little bit

01:35about the importance of sustained funding

01:39for the polar security cutter program.

01:41Congressman, the polar security cutter program

01:46is our top acquisition priority.

01:48We're excited about fulfilling the President's intent

01:50about building a fleet of ice-breakers for the nation

01:53because the Coast Guard operates those ice-breakers.

01:56They operate it to assure access to our polar regions,

01:59both the Arctic and Antarctica,

02:00and then also our domestic ice-breaking fleet

02:03for the Great Lakes and inland waterways.

02:04The polar security cutter is the first

02:07of the next generation of heavy ice-breakers

02:09that we are building right now.

02:11And we're beginning to see substantial acceleration forward

02:15in momentum.

02:16The shipbuilder, Bollinger, Mississippi,

02:18we just received approval for them

02:20to begin full production on polar security cutter number one

02:23on the 30th of April, just a few weeks ago.

02:26They've got over 95% 2D and functional design maturity

02:31that enables them to move forward with confidence.

02:33And they already are constructing 10

02:36of the prefabrication assembly units,

02:39which are the bottom center sections

02:40of that new icebreaker.

02:42These are complex vessels.

02:43They will provide the U.S. with the capability we need

02:46to assure and protect U.S. sovereignty

02:48in the polar regions.

02:50And then I want to shift gears a little bit

02:52and talk about the interdiction mission of the Coast Guard,

02:56particularly as it relates to the mission in the Gulf

02:59and the Pacific.

03:00As you referenced in your testimony,

03:02the president, when he was sworn in,

03:05immediately declared a state of emergency

03:08along the southwest border.

03:09He surged resources.

03:10We have seen the number of immigrants encountered drop

03:14dramatically along the southwest border.

03:16And we are seeing more and more individuals being pushed out

03:22from the land routes into sea routes.

03:24And we're also seeing more and more narcotics,

03:28which are no longer being able to be brought into country

03:32across what was an unsecured border.

03:34We're seeing more and more maritime operations.

03:38You mentioned your testimony in the first four months of FY25.

03:43We've seized more cocaine than we did in all of FY24.

03:46You talk about the 860 illegal aliens that have been interdicted

03:52trying to enter the country along our sea route.

03:57So talk a little bit about the importance of that mission

04:01as I believe we're going to see particularly drug cartels become more

04:07and more desperate to get their product into the United States.

04:10They're going to see more and more individuals that they're going to try

04:13to use the sea routes as a way to bring those narcotics in.

04:18And so talk a little bit about the importance of that mission.

04:20And then also if you have the resources that you need to maintain

04:24this heightened operational tempo that we've seen over the last three

04:30to four months.

04:32Congressman, the operations we're doing across the southern border,

04:35we view the southern border along with the rest of DHS as a system.

04:39And so much like when you squeeze or tighten down on one part,

04:42the land border, for example, and the Coast Guard is operating

04:45on the Rio Grande River as part of that effort,

04:47we see elements of that flow or that vector try to make their way

04:51across other areas of the border.

04:53And so we're seeing an increase in activity off southern California

04:57as we see increased smuggling attempts, moving illegal migration,

05:02and also drugs trying to get those into not only San Diego

05:05but further up the coast, up toward Los Angeles as well.

05:08And so the Coast Guard has increased our presence and operations and along

05:12with the Customs and Border Protection to make sure we can interdict

05:15and then deter those attempts.

05:18And so that requires not only an increased presence but sustaining

05:21that presence over time.

05:23And improving our capabilities, increased surveillance and sensors

05:27so that we can cue our forces to be able to better interdict

05:31those smuggling attempts.

05:32You know, these attempts are dangerous.

05:34And we had one of these smuggling vessels flip over in the surf

05:38off of San Diego last week that resulted in the deaths of three people,

05:41including a minor.

05:43And so these efforts are critical to stop, not only protect our border,

05:47but save lives as well.

05:50And so we do need increased and sustained top-line funding

05:54to be able to generate and sustain the assets, ships, cutters, boats,

05:59and aircraft and sensors necessary to enable us to protect

06:03that maritime approach to the U.S. border off of California,

06:07off of Texas and the Gulf of America, and then off of Florida

06:09and the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

06:13Admiral, thank you for being here today, and thank you for your service.

06:16With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

06:18Gentleman from Arizona, Mr. Siskamani,

06:20you're recognized for five minutes for your questions.

06:22Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

06:24Thank you, Admiral, for being here.

06:25Thank you for answering our questions and helping,

06:28shunning a lot.

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