U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Caitlin Clemons, Executive Officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf (WMSL 750), looks through a set of binoculars at Coast Guard Cutter Storis (WAGB 21) in the Pacific Ocean, June 29, 2025. (Source: U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Avery Tibbets)
The United States Coast Guard has issued a sweeping Request for Information seeking cutting-edge technologies and services to establish what officials are calling “Maritime Domain Dominance” across more than 95,000 miles of U.S. coastline and four million square miles of maritime approaches.
The initiative, released by the Coast Guard Research and Development Center, represents a fundamental shift in how America approaches maritime security. Rather than seeking awareness alone, the Coast Guard is pursuing the capability to actively shape, influence, and control the maritime domain.
“The Coast Guard desires unified, real-time MDD solutions that establish a ‘detect-to-act pipeline’ connecting every cutter, small boat, aircraft, unmanned system (air and surface), and sensors (space, air, surface, and shore-based) that are networked to our operators and command centers to facilitate the decisions and actions that follow,” according to the RFI.
The distinction between awareness and dominance lies at the heart of the Coast Guard’s vision. While awareness involves detecting and understanding maritime activities, dominance requires the capacity to project force, deny adversaries freedom of movement, and ensure secure borders.
The Coast Guard’s Rapid Response Rapid Prototype (RAPTOR) team will partner with selected respondents, potentially making maritime test locations available to showcase technologies and services.
Industry responses must address an extensive list of technical requirements, including how proposed solutions would integrate into military networks, provide real-time data transmission to operational command centers, and fuse diverse sensor inputs into unified command and control displays. The Coast Guard has particular interest in AI-enabled platforms that could improve detection probability and reduce response times for search and rescue operations.
The initiative encompasses multiple operational domains including space, air, surface, and subsurface systems, with acquisition options ranging from contractor-operated to government-operated configurations.
“With more than 95,000 miles of coastline, four million square miles of Exclusive Economic Zone, and countless points of entry, the U.S. maritime border is vast, dynamic, and increasingly contested,” the RFI states. “The Coast Guard requires an information-centric force focused on capabilities versus platforms, leveraging revolutionary technologies that enable persistent coverage (via space, air, surface, and subsurface), predictive awareness, and rapid decision-making against multi-faceted threats.”
The Coast Guard emphasized it is not seeking a singular solution but rather a holistic collection of capabilities to achieve Maritime Domain Dominance.
Responses are limited to five pages plus supporting materials and must be submitted by January 2, 2026. The Coast Guard made clear this is market research only and will not result in contract awards at this stage.
Companies interested in responding must address detailed technical specifications including cybersecurity measures, network architecture, scalability features, and interoperability in both classified and unclassified domains.
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