JANUARY 19, 2026 — The U.S. Coast Guard is proud to announce a bold new era in mission success, unveiling a rapid-response approach that identifies, prototypes and delivers breakthrough technologies to meet urgent operational needs and drives accelerated transition to programs. The Office of Rapid Response and Prototyping (CG-RAPTOR) is accelerating the “idea-to-operations” cycle, rolling out proven solutions within 30, 60, and 90 days through dynamic collaboration with operators, industry leaders and subject matter experts.
The standup of CG-RAPTOR comes amid Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s push for transformational change to revolutionize how the Coast Guard operates to defeat our adversaries and protect the Homeland. A key component of the service’s Force Design 2028 initiative, the launch of CG-RAPTOR accelerates innovation and enables the Service to experiment with streamlined business processes and applications prior to making larger enterprise investments.
In just 150 days, CG-RAPTOR has debuted advanced unmanned systems, innovative personnel management tools, secure communications platforms and real-time readiness tracking – empowering servicemembers with game-changing capabilities.
With a commitment to delivering impactful technology every 30 days, CG-RAPTOR is launching the Coast Guard into a future defined by agility, integration and operational excellence.
This Friday in San Diego, CG-RAPTOR will host an exclusive demonstration for Coast Guard personnel and select invitees, showcasing the latest advancements in sensor data and video feed integration across a unified operational picture.
This event will highlight direct-to-operator tactical situational awareness, supporting emerging priorities such as Southern Border personal watercraft interdiction.
Attendees will experience firsthand how CG-RAPTOR’s innovative solutions deliver real-time operational insights and enhance mission effectiveness in the field.
“With Force Design 2028, we are completely changing the game on how the Coast Guard delivers our mission through operational agility, integration and automation,” said Captain Chad Brick, the inaugural chief of CG-RAPTOR. “CG-RAPTOR feeds on this transformative approach, rapidly driving cutting-edge technology directly into the hands of our operators for a more effective workforce and to protect our nation’s maritime interests.”
The Coast Guard’s technological modernization comes on the heels of a historic year for the service. In fiscal year 2025, the Coast Guard seized a record-breaking 510,000 pounds of cocaine, thanks in large part to strategic surge operations like Operation Pacific Viper. The Coast Guard also surpassed its recruiting goals, welcoming over 5,200 new active-duty members, the highest annual total since 1991. These successes underscore the importance of investing in an agile, capable, and responsive force to meet evolving global challenges.
Force Design 2028 is the way the Coast Guard will defeat adversaries, deliver peace through strength, and protect the Homeland both today and for decades to come. The Service will embrace innovation and cutting-edge technology to control the nation’s borders, facilitate commerce to economic prosperity and strategic mobility, and ensure readiness to respond to any crisis or contingency. Force Design 2028 is Coast Guard’s bold roadmap for enduring success.
As part of Force Design 2028, the Coast Guard continues to foster a culture of innovation from within. Many of the service’s advancements are born from the creative ideas of its own workforce. Coast Guard members are encouraged to submit their ideas and solutions through the CG Ideas@Work platform, a crowdsourcing tool that empowers every member to help shape the future of the service.
For more information on CG-RAPTOR, please visit the official page here. Additional details on Force Design 2028 can be found here.
About the U.S. Coast Guard
With more than 95,000 miles of shoreline, 25,000 miles of navigable rivers and 4.5 million square miles of U.S. exclusive economic zone, the U.S. Coast Guard defends the Nation, protects the marine transportation system, regulates and safeguards ports and waterways, leads the Nation in maritime drug interdiction and secures the maritime border. As a member of the joint force, a law enforcement organization, a regulatory agency and a member of the U.S. intelligence community, the Coast Guard employs a unique mix of authorities to ensure the safety and integrity of the maritime domain to protect the economic and national security of the nation. More than 76,000 members of the Coast Guard operate a multi-mission, interoperable fleet of more than 220 cutters, 185 fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, 1,300 boats and its own dedicated cyber command to protect critical maritime infrastructure.
More information about the U.S. Coast Guard can be found at www.uscg.mil Follow @USCG on X and Instagram, like us on Facebook, subscribe on YouTube and follow LinkedIn — connect with us.
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