Integrated Deepwater System Program
To continue to meet America’s 21st century maritime threats and challenges, the Coast Guard initiated the Integrated Deepwater System (IDS) Program, the largest and most innovative acquisition in the Coast Guard's history. The IDS is not just “new ships and aircraft,” but an integrated approach to upgrading existing assets while transitioning to newer, more capable platforms with improved systems for command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) and innovative logistics support.
This new "system of systems" will significantly contribute to the Coast Guard's maritime domain awareness, as well as the improved ability to intercept, engage, and deter those activities that pose a direct challenge to U.S. sovereignty and security. Deepwater will provide the means to extend our layered maritime defenses from our ports and coastal areas hundreds of miles to sea.
The IDS Program focuses on system-wide capabilities and not assets. The Coast Guard began the design process with the goal to acquire the performance capabilities required to perform the full range of Coast Guard deepwater missions. The Coast Guard is focusing on the overall required capabilities rather than the individual assets. This performance-based acquisition approach gave industry the flexibility to propose the optimal mix of assets necessary to meet the needs of the Coast Guard for Deepwater missions.
Three competing industry consortium teams bid on the Integrated Deepwater System contract. The Coast Guard selected the contractor who offered the best value from among the premiere system integration experts in the world, forming a partnership to successfully deliver the IDS. Integrated Coast Guard Systems (ICGS), a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, provided the best value to the Coast Guard and was selected as the Service’s industry partner, or the Systems Integrator.
Deepwater is a long-term acquisition program, but work to upgrade existing assets and acquire the first new aircraft and ships has already begun. According to the notional IDS implementation plan, the system will be completed in approximately 20 years.
Deepwater has at times been the source of congressional tug-of-war and ideological battles regarding the funding of such initiatives. In 2005, President Bush requested funding of over $900million, only to be met with a House downgrade of the request to $500million. In September of 2005, Congress approved a reconciled amount over $900million, but just short of the President's original request.