1). A 2009 national security  presidential directive reflects current U.S. Arctic policy and is key among  U.S. policies. Additional White House national strategies and plans supplementing  existing Arctic policy have been issued since the 2009 presidential  directive on the Arctic region. The Coast Guard Is the Primary Federal Maritime Agency in the Arctic, but Multiple Stakeholders Have Arctic Responsibilities

Given the Arctic region’s extensive maritime domain, the Coast Guard  plays a significant role in Arctic policy implementation and enforcement. State and local governments, Alaska Native tribal governments, Alaska  Native corporations, and other Alaska Native entities, private industry,  and nonprofit groups are also important Arctic stakeholders. The Coast Guard Reported Progress Implementing its Arctic Strategy

The Coast Guard has reported making progress implementing its Arctic  strategy and addressing tasks in its implementation plan. The Coast Guard Has Assessed Its Arctic Capabilities and Taken Actions to Mitigate Gaps but Has Not Systematically Assessed its Progress

		The Coast Guard Assessed Its Capabilities in the Arctic and Identified Capability Gaps

In addition to taking actions to implement its Arctic strategy, the Coast  Guard assessed its capability to perform its missions in the Arctic and  identified various capability gaps, primarily through two key studies. For example, Coast Guard officials stated  that until national priorities are better articulated by the AESC, the Coast  Guard will not be able to identify all of its Arctic requirements. The Coast Guard Has Taken Actions to Help Mitigate Capability Gaps but Has Not Systematically Assessed Its Progress in this Effort

The Coast Guard has worked with its Arctic partners—such as other  federal agencies—to carry out actions to help mitigate Arctic capability  gaps; however, it has not systematically assessed how its actions, across  the agency, have helped to mitigate these gaps. However, while taking actions to help mitigate these capability gaps  requires joint efforts among Arctic partners, the Coast Guard has taken  actions in the Arctic that are specific to its missions and therefore has  responsibility for assessing the extent to which its actions have helped to  mitigate its part of these capability gaps. Coast Guard Has Been Unable to Fulfill All Polar Icebreaking Operations and Is Taking Steps to Begin Icebreaker Acquisition

		The Coast Guard Has Been Unable to Reliably Fulfill Polar Icebreaking Responsibilities with Current Fleet

Various requirements drive the Coast Guard’s icebreaking mission  responsibilities, and since 2010 the Coast Guard has been unable to fulfill  some of these responsibilities. Specifically, the Coast Guard was unable to complete 5 out  of 26 requests for polar icebreaking, including 4 out of 11 requests in  2011 and 2012 when both heavy icebreakers were unavailable. The Coast Guard Has Initiated an Icebreaker Acquisition Program and Is Considering Various Strategies

To maintain polar icebreaking capability after the Polar Star’s projected  service life ends between 2020 and 2023, the Coast Guard initiated a  program in 2013 to acquire a new heavy icebreaker and is currently  working to determine the optimal acquisition strategy. Availability. The Coast Guard Is Developing a Bridging Strategy to Address Expected Heavy Icebreaker Service Gap

Anticipating a likely gap in heavy icebreaker capability between the end of  the Polar Star’s service life and the deployment of a new icebreaker, the  Coast Guard is developing a bridging strategy, as required by law, to  determine how to address this expected gap. By systematically assessing and measuring how its actions  have helped to mitigate capability gaps, the Coast Guard will better  understand the status of these gaps and be better positioned to  effectively plan its Arctic operations, including its allocation of resources  and prioritization of activities to target the gaps. Recommendations for Executive Action

To better position the Coast Guard to effectively plan its Arctic operations,  we recommend that the Commandant of the Coast Guard take the  following two actions: develop measures, as appropriate, for gauging how the agency’s  actions have helped to mitigate the Arctic capability gaps; and design and implement a process to systematically assess the extent  to which actions taken agency-wide have helped mitigate the Arctic  capability gaps for which it has responsibility. Other federal departments and agencies also have a role in U.S. Government efforts in  the Arctic, but were not discussed in this report.
Why GAO Did This Study

The retreat of polar sea ice in the Arctic, as reported by the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center, combined with an expected increase in human activity, has heightened U.S. interests in the Arctic region. To supplement U.S. Arctic policy, the White House and federal agencies have issued Arctic strategies and plans. Since the Arctic region has a substantial maritime domain, the Coast Guard plays a significant role in Arctic policy implementation and enforcement. GAO was asked to examine the Coast Guard's responsibilities, capabilities, and plans for the Arctic. This report discusses, among other things, the extent to which the Coast Guard has (1) reported progress in implementing its Arctic strategy, (2) assessed its Arctic capabilities and taken actions to mitigate any identified gaps, and (3) reported being able to carry out polar icebreaking operations. GAO reviewed relevant laws and policies and Coast Guard documents that detail its Arctic plans. GAO conducted a site visit to Alaska and interviewed officials from the Coast Guard, state and local government entities, native village corporations, and private or nonprofit organizations. These observations are not generalizable, but provided insights on Coast Guard activities.

What GAO Found

The U.S. Coast Guard, within the Department of Homeland Security, reported making progress implementing its Arctic strategy . For example, the Coast Guard reported conducting exercises related to Arctic oil spill response and search and rescue, and facilitating the formation of a safety committee in the Arctic, among other tasks in its strategy. To track the status of these efforts, the Coast Guard is developing a web-based tool and anticipates finalizing the tool in mid-2016.
The Coast Guard assessed its capability to perform its Arctic missions and identified various capability gaps—including communications, infrastructure, and icebreaking, and has worked to mitigate these gaps with its Arctic partners, such as other federal agencies. Specifically, Coast Guard officials stated that the agency's actions to implement the various Arctic strategies and carry out annual Arctic operations have helped to mitigate Arctic capability gaps. However, the Coast Guard has not systematically assessed the extent to which its actions agency-wide have helped to mitigate these gaps. Coast Guard officials attributed this, in part, to not being able to unilaterally close the gaps. While mitigating these gaps requires joint efforts among Arctic partners, the Coast Guard has taken actions in the Arctic that are specific to its missions and therefore has responsibility for assessing the extent to which these actions have helped to mitigate capability gaps. By systematically assessing and measuring its progress, the Coast Guard will better understand the status of these gaps and be better positioned to effectively plan its Arctic operations.
The Coast Guard has been unable to fulfill some of its polar icebreaking responsibilities with its aging icebreaker fleet, which currently includes two active polar icebreakers. In 2011 and 2012, the Coast Guard was unable to maintain assured, year-round access to the Arctic and did not meet 4 of 11 requests for polar icebreaking services. With its one active heavy icebreaker—which has greater icebreaking capability—nearing the end of its service life, the Coast Guard initiated a program in 2013 to acquire a new one and is working to determine the optimal acquisition strategy. However, the Coast Guard's efforts to acquire an icebreaker, whether by lease or purchase, will be limited by legal and operational requirements. In addition, current projections show that the Coast Guard is likely to have a 3- to 6-year gap in its heavy icebreaking capability before a new icebreaker becomes operational, as shown below. The Coast Guard is developing a strategy to determine how to best address this expected gap.
Coast Guard's Heavy Icebreaker Availability and Expected Capability Gaps, Present until 2030

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that the Coast Guard develop measures for assessing how its actions have helped to mitigate Arctic capability gaps, and design and implement a process to systematically assess its progress on this. DHS concurred with our recommendations.