The Coast Guard extends our reach with over 60 bilateral agreements around the globe and we forge important partnerships through diplomatic means. I was in Colombia a few weeks ago and met with President Santos, a key ally in combating transnational crime. He is committed to stamping out this shared threat to our regional stability. Just a few days ago I met with the head of the Mexican Navy. I joined S1 in a recent discussion with the President’s of Honduras and Costa Rica. And just last Thursday, I joined S1 in a meeting with the AGs of Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. The only way to curb the flow of drugs and migrants to our borders is to work with our partners to the South, just as we partner in the interagency and with DoD. Our partnerships are solid. But instability leads to corruption. Our drug epidemic drives supply. It’s hard to tell an impoverished nation to cultivate a crop that is less lucrative, when we are the ones buying the product… The Coast Guard plays an important part in this campaign, but our Nation, more broadly, needs to get after all the push/pull factors if we truly want to secure our borders and ensure our Nation’s security. But, we are limited by capacity. One thing I am currently after is more “eyes in the sky” ISR and UAS is sorely lacking across DoD and the interagency. But – this capability appropriately deployed - can take us to the next level in this – campaign. SLIDE 6 Just as the demand signal is increasing in to combat networks and secure our borders in the South… The demands on the Coast Guard in the north are expanding as well. Arctic waters are opening. Traffic is increasing. and non-state actors, alike, are all positioning to take full advantage of this newest frontier. And make no mistake - China and Russia are exerting their influence. [militarization] Russia has more than 40 nuclear and non-nuclear polar icebreakers. Further, Russia has expressed a clear intent to increase its
The Coast Guard extends our reach with over 60 bilateral agreements around the globe and we forge important partnerships through diplomatic means. I was in Colombia a few weeks ago and met with President Santos, a key ally in combating transnational crime. He is committed to stamping out this shared threat to our regional stability. Just a few days ago I met with the head of the Mexican Navy. I joined S1 in a recent discussion with the President’s of Honduras and Costa Rica. And just last Thursday, I joined S1 in a meeting with the AGs of Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. The only way to curb the flow of drugs and migrants to our borders is to work with our partners to the South, just as we partner in the interagency and with DoD. Our partnerships are solid. But instability leads to corruption. Our drug epidemic drives supply. It’s hard to tell an impoverished nation to cultivate a crop that is less lucrative, when we are the ones buying the product… The Coast Guard plays an important part in this campaign, but our Nation, more broadly, needs to get after all the push/pull factors if we truly want to secure our borders and ensure our Nation’s security. But, we are limited by capacity. One thing I am currently after is more “eyes in the sky” – ISR and UAS is sorely lacking across DoD and the interagency. But this capability – appropriately deployed - can take us to the next level in this campaign. SLIDE 6 Just as the demand signal is increasing in to combat networks and secure our borders in the South… The demands on the Coast Guard in the north are expanding as well. Arctic waters are opening. Traffic is increasing. and non-state actors, alike, are all positioning to take full advantage of this newest frontier. And make no mistake - China and Russia are exerting their influence. [militarization] Russia has more than 40 nuclear and non-nuclear polar icebreakers. Further, Russia has expressed a clear intent to increase its
2017%20Sea%20Air%20Space_CCG%20TPs.docx