- The small maritime service is contending with data and connectivity challenges as it looks to expand its presence in the Pacific.
Arlington: The Coast Guard, like its sister military services, is expanding its reach in the Indo-Pacific region. But it’s also working to make data more accessible across the service and boost connectivity for service members at sea.
“Can you imagine being on a 24-member crew sailing thousands of miles away on a 154-foot ship to share your experiences, your professionalism, with willing and emergent nations? A daunting task, but one that our crews love,” said Rear Adm. Michael Ryan, the Coast Guard’s deputy commandant for operations policy and capabilities, during the National Defense Industrial Association’s Expeditionary Warfare conference in Arlington, Va. on Wednesday.
Ryan’s office helps fulfill policy and tactical needs of crew members on missions that aren’t just limited to U.S. ports and waterways. Ryan said the maritime military service plans to triple its deployments to the western Pacific this year.
And in fiscal year 2024, the Coast Guard plans to deploy a 270-foot medium-endurance cutter with up to 100 crew members “to better compete with Chinese influence” and help allies and partners in the region. The service also expanded its small cutters with some based in Guam, frequently dispatched to Micronesia and “other Pacific Island countries to elevate maritime governance.”
- Defense One / News Agencies