February 10, 2020

View the Coast Guard’s 2021 Budget Overview and 2019 Performance Highlights document and

FY 2021 Congressional Justification document at: https://www.uscg.mil/budget/

U.S. Coast Guard Fact Sheet

Fiscal Year 2021 President’s Budget

U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters

2703 Martin Luther King Ave, S.E.

Washington, DC 20953

www.uscg.mil

BACKGROUND: The FY 2021 President’s Budget requests $12.33 billion for the Coast Guard, including $10.24 billion in 

discretionary funding. Critical investments in people, assets and infrastructure, and technology build on previous funding to 

continue to address the Coast Guard’s readiness challenges. The Budget also supports the Polar Security Cutter (PSC) and the

Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC)—the service’s highest priority acquisitions—and continues recapitalization efforts for capital 

assets and infrastructure. 

BUDGET PRIORITIES:

 Modernize Operational Capabilities—As a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, a law enforcement organization, a regulatory 

agency, a member of the U.S. Intelligence Community, and a first responder, the Coast Guard is in high demand to meet 

the National Security needs of a changing global strategic environment.

 Restore Readiness—Every Armed Force faces readiness challenges, and the Coast Guard is no exception. While the Coast 

Guard’s ongoing recapitalization efforts are essential to meeting the needs of the Nation, they must be coupled with targeted 

investments in people, assets and infrastructure, and technology to ensure a mission-ready Coast Guard.

The FY 2021 Budget requests $8.38 billion for Operations and Support (O&S) and $1.64 billion for Procurement, 

Construction and Improvements (PC&I). Budget highlights include:

MODERNIZE OPERATIONAL CAPABILITIES: 

 $1.18 billion for vessels, including: $546 million for the construction of OPC #3 as well as long lead time materials for OPC

#4; $555 million for PSC, including construction of PSC #2; $31 million for post-delivery activities for National Security 

Cutters (NSCs) #8-11; and $25 million for Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) to recapitalize the capabilities provided by 

the current fleet of inland tenders and barges (PC&I).

 $67 million for shore infrastructure improvements to support new acquisitions, including the PSC homeport in Seattle, WA, 

and infrastructure to support a fifth NSC in Charleston, SC (PC&I).

 $55 million for new assets including: operations and maintenance funds for Fast Response Cutters (FRCs) #43-44 and NSC 

#9; crews for FRC #44 and OPC #1; shoreside personnel and support for FRCs #19-20, 34-35, 39-40, and OPC #1; and

support for NSC capabilities, including tactical cryptology and small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) (O&S).

 $33 million to expand Coast Guard cyber operations, including: cyber enabling operations; facilitating prevention, response, 

and resilience for cyber incidents in the Marine Transportation System; and defense of Coast Guard networks (O&S).

RESTORE READINESS: 

People

 $116 million for requisite military pay and allowances per National Defense Authorization Act requirements, maintaining 

parity with the military branches within the Department of Defense, and $59 million for civilian pay and benefits (O&S).

 $15 million for workforce readiness, including recruiting, retention, Diversity and Inclusion, training, and healthcare (O&S).

Assets and Infrastructure

 $154 million to sustain Coast Guard aircraft, including: $20 million to support service life extensions for MH-60T 

helicopters; $45 million for a service life extension and avionics upgrade on the MH-65 helicopter fleet; and $78 million for 

missionization of fixed-wing HC-27J and HC-144A aircraft (PC&I).

 $100 million to sustain Coast Guard cutters and boats, including $15 million to support service life extension of CGC 

POLAR STAR and $83 million to support service life extension of the 47-foot motor life boats and 270-foot medium 

endurance cutters (PC&I).

 $75 million for shore infrastructure projects supporting air operations in the National Capital Region and Clearwater, FL; 

facility upgrades in Buffalo, NY, and Philadelphia, PA; and construction of housing in Perry, ME (PC&I).

 $38 million to transition Air Station Borinquen, Puerto Rico from MH-65 to MH-60 helicopters and to improve the 

operational availability of fixed and rotary-wing aircraft (O&S).

Technology

 $24 million to improve the readiness of the Coast Guard’s information technology infrastructure (O&S).

 $17 million for the enterprise mission platform, including military satellite and secure mobile communications (PC&I).

 $7 million for cutter underway connectivity improvements to meet mission requirements (O&S).