The Coast Guard is presently implementing a sequence of packages to consolidate and modernize its plane fleet whereas enhancing readiness for the longer term, however a brand new report reveals the service can also be dealing with aviation workforce challenges that influence will be on the technique.
The Authorities Accountability Workplace report, launched Tuesday, reveals that whereas the company plans to scale back its helicopter fleet from 146 to 127 plane, the company has not assessed staffing wants as a result of ongoing vacancies for aviation personnel.
Coast Guard coverage requires plane to be obtainable to conduct missions a minimum of 71 % of the time, which equates to a minimum of one in each three plane on base obtainable to launch, whereas the others might expertise with restore, upkeep or different issues.
However that availability degree dropped to a variety of 66% to 68.3% between fiscal 2018 and 2022 as a result of upkeep points, which led some bases to prioritize sure flights based mostly on accessible plane and missions. An absence of accessible components as a result of provide chain disruptions and different points additionally poses a problem for Coast Guard officers.
The service presently has 4 acquisition packages underway to shift the Coast Guard fleet from short-range helicopters to at least one with fewer medium-range plane to assist fight components shortages.
However GAO officers mentioned the Coast Guard has not assessed whether or not its plan will meet mission wants or the required workforce wanted to make it work.
As of July 2023, the service has 9% of approved army aviation positions vacant, with 19% vacancies for rescue swimmers, 12% for pilots and seven% for upkeep personnel – who examine, preserve and troubleshoot plane programs and engines.
The company has been working to handle retention points with updates to its swimmer coaching curriculum and incentives for swimmers and pilots, however GAO officers mentioned it lacks the manpower necessities willpower course of designed to evaluate airline workforce wants. has not accomplished.
“Coast Guard Headquarters officers acknowledged the significance of assembly MRD necessities and figuring out staffing wants for aviation personnel, however the Coast Guard has not prioritized their completion,” the report mentioned. “In July 2023, the Coast Guard offered a listing of workforce assessments it plans to provoke over the following 5 years. This record included one of many Coast Guard’s 5 plane sorts and didn’t embrace any airline.”
As a result of rising mission calls for, the Coast Guard might not have perception into whether or not manpower wants are larger or decrease than approved ranges, additional complicating the potential influence of the brand new plane fleet technique.
Final month, Coast Guard officers accomplished a workforce evaluation for one of many 5 plane sorts and plan to finish the evaluation of the 25 air stations in fiscal yr 2024, however haven’t recognized funding sources as of August 2023 to finish the required MRDs.
The report additionally famous that the company doesn’t have full plane readiness information for all air stations and that air stations enter the information inconsistently. The Coast Guard additionally based mostly the specified future variety of plane on “historic annual flight hours to estimate equal flight” with out updating its fleet combine evaluation since 2005, GAO officers mentioned, regardless of the rise in mission necessities.
The report provided 5 suggestions, together with that the Coast Guard uniformly acquire, preserve and consider air station readiness information, that it assess the sort and variety of helicopters wanted to satisfy mission necessities, and that it appropriately employees in aviation should assess and decide.
The Division of Homeland Safety, which oversees the Coast Guard, agreed with all 5 suggestions and outlined the Coast Guard’s steps to handle them.