Lacking its own permanent basing in the Arctic, the US Coast Guard must use National Guard hangar space in Kotzebue, Alaska. (Janes/Michael Fabey)
The service the US depends on to provide the most continuous security in the country's Arctic and High North regions – the US Coast Guard (USCG) – is being hamstrung for a lack of sufficient infrastructure, logistics, and data gathering, according to a recent US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.
“[US] Coast Guard officials noted that the agency's operational challenges in the US Arctic region are amplified by limited infrastructure and logistics capabilities in Alaska,” the GAO said in its report, Coast Guard Complete Performance and Operational Data Would Better Clarify Arctic Resource Needs , released on 13 August.
The GAO also noted the USCG needs to do a better job of collecting and reporting complete information about resource use and mission performance. The USCG also should make sure its Arctic implementation plan includes performance measures with associated targets and timeframes for action items, the GAO said.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees the USCG, agreed with GAO recommendations to improve the data gathering and reporting efforts.
The GAO pointed out the lengths the USCG undertakes to secure the US Arctic and High North.
“In addition to major cutters and icebreakers, the Coast Guard also forward deploys helicopters to the US Arctic region as part of Operation ‘Arctic Shield',” the GAO reported. “The Coast Guard operates these helicopters from a leased Alaska National Guard aircraft hangar in Kotzebue, Alaska, because it lacks such infrastructure in the Arctic region.”
Arctic patrols
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