The Coast Guard’s Next Decade: An Assessment of Emerging Challenges and Statutory Needs

In the face of climate change, technological innovation, and global strategic competition, the U.S. Coast Guard will need to respond to many developments in the maritime domain over the next decade. The Coast Guard likely has sufficient statutory authority to respond to most of these developments, but some developments may call for new or clarified statutory authority as well as coordination with international bodies. Current statutory manning requirements, for example, will limit the Coast Guard’s ability to authorize the regulated use of uncrewed vessels with autonomous systems. New authority may also be needed to establish spaceflight-related safety zones applicable to foreign-flagged vessels within 200 nautical miles of the U.S. coastlines.

These are among the findings in TRB Special Report 346: The Coast Guard’s Next Decade: An Assessment of Emerging Challenges and Statutory Needs from the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The report emphasizes that in addition statutory authority, the Coast Guard will need key organizational and operational capabilities, including a well-trained workforce, to respond to future challenges.