FierceHomlandSecurity.com reports the Department of Homeland Security has issued their budget proposal for FY2014. Overall the Department has been cut by 3.48%, while the Coast Guard has been cut by 8.66% compared to FY2013.

Compared to the FY2012 budget, personnel are being cut by 516 full time equivalents (FTE) or a little over one percent. The total budget is down $888.362M from $10.681B or about 8.32%. Looking specifically at the AC&I  budget, it took a big hit, from more than $1.46B, it was cut to a bit over $951M for a loss of 34.9%.

You can find budget documents here.

Vessels ($743M):

The AC&I budget for vessels has actually increased. The lion’s share will go to fund the 7th NSC. The budget includes only two Webber Class Fast Response Cutters (FRC), instead of the full rate production of 6 that had been optioned for. There are also small amounts for continued planning for the Offshore Patrol Cutter and the new Polar Icebreaker, and to begin refurbishment of the 140 foot icebreaking tugs and 225 foot buoy tenders.

The budget also includes the decommissioning of two more 378 foot WHECs. (I am beginning to wonder when we will start to see the 110s being decommissioned.)

Last year the proposed budget also included funds for only two FRC, but six were ultimately authorized, so perhaps there is still hope for more.

Aircraft ($28M):

The budget for aircraft is way down and includes no new aircraft, but it does continue updates for the MH-65s and HC-130Hs.

The budget includes disestablishment of airstations at Newport OR and Charleston, SC, and the retirement of eight HU-25s and two HC-130Hs.

It appears the Coast Guard believes they will get 21 excess C-27Js from the Air Force.

Photo: C-27 J courtesy of TreyFitz at English Wikipedia

Where we are going:

The budget also gives us an indication of how many of the new vessels and aircraft are expected to be operational. The budget indicates there will be twelve FRCs, four NSCs with the fifth nearing commissioning at the end of FY2014, 17 HC-144As and 17 mission System Pallets for the HC-144s.

One line item I found interesting was for 1000 hours of “Manned Covert Surveillance Aircraft” time. This may be a resurrection of an earlier program when the Coast Guard used the Schweizer RG-8A twin-engine motor-glider ISR aircraft that has now evolved into the RU-38 Twin Condor. That program was reportedly discontinued in 2000, but an updated version could be seen as a replacement for the long deferred and problematic UAV program.

Schweizer RG-8A twin-engine glider in flight, circa 1990

FY2015 will be a crunch, in that two years ago a sizable jump in AC&I funding was projected to provide for both NSC #8 and the first Offshore Patrol Cutter. Last year it appeared that NSC #7 and #8 had been indefinitely deferred, but now they are back in. On the other hand it appears the start of the OPC may be delayed. We will talk more about this later.