Providing our customers with the tools they need to complete their mission-critical efforts can mean saving lives. This is true with our work with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) on the Rescue 21 Coastal system.
Our Pioneer of Progress, Forrest Holeman, is the technical manager of the Rescue 21 Coastal team. And his team is part of the Space Ground Systems business area of General Dynamics Mission Systems Space and Intelligence Systems line of business.
What is the Rescue 21 Coastal system?
This program allows the USCG to receive maritime distress and emergency response alerts, coordinate search and rescue operations, communicate with mariners and provide command and control capabilities for all USCG operational missions in the continental U.S. coastal and inland waterway areas, as well as Hawaii, Guam and Puerto Rico. General Dynamics Mission Systems has been responsible for the development, deployment and sustainment of the system since its award in September 2002.
Rescue 21 is operational along the entire Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts of the continental United States as well as along the shores of the Great Lakes, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Guam.
Tell us about your role.
I have been on the Rescue 21 Coastal program since the proposal work started in 2002. I originally worked with the systems and software teams to capture software requirement and am now the technical manager for Rescue 21 Coastal.
What sparked your interest in pursuing an innovative idea for Rescue 21?
Given the longevity of the Rescue 21 Coastal program, there have been numerous technology refresh opportunities to keep the system relevant and meet the changing environment in which the system operates. Commercial-off-the-shelf hardware and software obsolescence coupled with continually changing cybersecurity requirements present constant innovation opportunities to maintain operational capability while minimizing system outage for a mission-critical, life-saving system.
Tell us about Rescue 21 Coastal innovations and the benefits you've seen implementing your solutions.
Of our numerous innovations, there are two significant impacts that have stayed with me on the performance and sustainability of the Rescue 21 Coastal system.
First, the replacement of obsolete hardware in the Software Digital Interface Unit (SWDIU). Rather than replacing all obsolete hardware with next-generation hardware, an Industry Research and Development (IRAD) project developed the redesign of the voice and data processing paths. This innovation eliminated a significant number of hardware components, thus reducing overall lifecycle cost for the customer.
The second impactful innovation on the Rescue 21 Coastal system involves the Sector Command Center (SCC). An IRAD project discovered the new system design which allows the USCG to transition multiple sectors impacted by storms to adjacent sectors not impacted and maintain operations in the impacted areas. This innovation is not only used during natural disasters, but also during scheduled or unscheduled network outages.
What has been the best part of working on your innovations?
The best part was the opportunity to research and apply new software-based cryptographic technologies into a voice and data processing system with very specific real-time constraints. Innovation resulted in significant cost savings as well as minimizing systems outages, which is critical for a life-saving system that must operate 24/7.
What has been the most significant takeaway for you?
In addition to the engineering challenges and customer benefits, another significant takeaway is the job satisfaction our team has working on these innovations.
What advice would you give to others looking for innovative solutions?
While there are many interesting engineering innovations possible, the best or most satisfying solutions are those that provide a significant benefit to the customer. In the case of Rescue 21 Coastal, General Dynamics Mission Systems’ innovative engineering solutions continue to benefit the mission and solve our customer’s toughest challenges.
