The Deepwater plan proposes to plug all the individual units into a single network so that everyone knows what everyone else is seeing. A satellite or high-flying UAV robot might spot a sinking ship, smuggler's speedboat, leaking oil tanker, or illegal fishing boat and instantly upload the sighting to the network, signaling the nearest cutter either to investigate or, far faster, to dispatch a team by air. The crucial requirement is that the whole system mesh seamlessly with the Navy's. The industry teams competing for the Deepwater contract are cautiously optimistic that the Coast Guard approach could be sold to the Pentagon too. Indeed, the potential to get the Pentagon's business may be more profitable than Deepwater itself.
Industry's a little doubtful that it's going to happen.
Something has got to give. The Coast Guard hopes it will be Deepwater's price tag. In past military programs, however, similar hopes that high technology and efficient design could lower costs have consistently been dashed. But the Coast Guard of 30 years ago could ride the wave of military spending for Vietnam. Congress has finally gotten serious about trying to live within its means.