Coast Guard may get new Arctic policy

[unhappycamper]

Coast Guard may get new Arctic policy
By Amy McCullough - [e-mail]
Posted : Tuesday Dec 30, 2008 10:12:41 EST

The Coast Guard has undergone many changes in the last two years, and 2009 won’t be any different.

One looming question — the service’s Arctic policy — will likely be answered with the release of a comprehensive report outlining not only what the service’s new responsibilities should be, but also what equipment will be necessary to complete the mission.

Commandant Adm. Thad Allen, who took command in 2006 with a goal of transforming the service, has repeatedly emphasized the importance of the Arctic, saying the melting of the ice caps, an increase in oil exploration and additional shipping and cruise routes in the polar region are taxing the fleet, which now must patrol areas that used to be ice.

However, until that report is released, the Arctic mission remains unclear.

The Coast Guard’s Polar icebreaking fleet consists of the cutters Polar Sea and Polar Star, both commissioned in the 1970s and well past their prime. The cutter Healy also is used in the area, although it was primarily designed for Arctic scientific research. The Polar Sea’s life expectancy was extended to 2014 thanks to a major overhaul in 2006. The oldest icebreaker, the Polar Star, has been laid up since 2006.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/12/coastguard_yearahead_123008w/%2e