House wants Coast Guard to lead on Deepwater

The House passed a measure April 24 to push the Coast Guard to assume greater management of its 25-year, $24 billion acquisition program to modernize the agency’s aging fleet.If enacted, the Coast Guard Authorization Act (H.R. 2830) would prohibit the Coast Guard from using a company to serve as lead systems integrator for new delivery orders or task orders. It also requires Deepwater contract competitions to be open, with a few exceptions.The program has been under fire for years from lawmakers and government investigators for its management, oversight and delays on several key acquisitions. DHS’ inspector general raised concerns about the Deepwater program last month, and the Government Accountability Office told lawmakers about potential problems with the delivery schedule.Last year, both the Senate and House passed measures to force the Coast Guard to improve its management of the program. Last spring, the Coast Guard announced its plan to assume the role of lead systems integrator, taking the responsibility from a Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman consortium that had held the role since 2002.