The Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure conducted a hearing entitled “How to Improve the Efficiency, Safety, and Security of Maritime Transportation: Better Use and Integration of Maritime Domain Awareness Data”. RADM Mark E. Butt, USCG testified about the modernization and management of the Coast Guard’s Command, Control, Computers, Communication, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) system. Mr. Stephen Caldwell, Government Accountability Office, testified that the Coast Guard has made progress, but continues to face challenges in developing and implementing a Common Operational Picture (COP). Mr. Steve Morrow, Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, testified that unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) can provide critical situation awareness for a variety of Coast Guard missions. Mr. Bill Vass, Liquid Robotics, testified that unmanned ocean vehicles can expand Coast Guard coverage of patrol areas. Ms. Lisa Hazard, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, testified that the Coast Guard should develop partnerships with other agencies to conduct small scale tests to demonstrate to test concept of operations of new technologies and applications. Dr. Newell Garfield III, San Francisco State University, testified that the Coast Guard should make increased use of Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) data in its various missions. (Source: Bryant’s – 7/31/13).
