US Subcommittee Mulls Technology: Can the Coast Guard Keep Up?

US Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Chairman Mike Ezell (R-MS) chaired a hearing, entitled “Changes in Maritime Technology: Can the Coast Guard Keep Up?” on Tuesday.

The maritime industry is undergoing a rapid period of transformation, including the adoption of autonomous technology and robotics that could transform the sector, as well as threats from drones and cyber-attacks that require increased vigilance.

Ezell introduced the hearing saying: “Last February, in our hearing on ‘America Builds: Maritime Infrastructure,’ we noted the need for the United States Coast Guard to rapidly develop a regulatory framework to enable these technologies to operate safely. We are here today to discuss both the Coast Guard’s efforts to regulate an industry incorporating these technologies, as well as its own use of these advanced maritime technologies.”

Excerpts from the submissions made at the hearing:

Rear Admiral David C. Barata, Deputy Commandant for Operations Policy and Assistant Commandant for Intelligence, United States Coast Guard:

“As part of Force Design 2028, on July 1, 2025, the Coast Guard established the Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Program Executive Office (PEO). The RAS PEO consolidated multiple offices into one cohesive program dedicated to the acquisition and integration of