Adm. Daniel Abel, the U.S. Coast Guard’s deputy commandant for operations, said during a House hearing that he aims to address USCG’s efforts to modernize its legacy assets, Federal News Network reported Wednesday. “As a branch of the armed forces, we have not benefited from some of the rises in operating budget that we would hope,†he said.
Abel testified before members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation subcommittee that USCG needs investments in its offshore patrol cutters as well as a range of aircraft for multiple missions. Abel noted that the Coast Guard’s fiscal 2020 budget request includes $11 million to extend the service life of its aging patrol cutters ahead of plans to start modernizing the fleet by 2023.
