Washington Waves: Waterway News From D. C.
Two top administration officials announced a $2-billion investment to build two new military ships at the Hanwha Philly Shipyard as part of President Donald Trump’s order to restore the nation’s maritime dominance.
Known as Missile Range Instrumentation Vessels (MRIV), the new ships will replace two 50-year-old ships in the Department of War’s Missile Defense Agency fleet, the Department of Transportation (DOT) stated.
In building these state-of-the-art vessels, DOT added, the Trump administration is equipping the U.S. military with advanced tracking capabilities to observe missile interception tests over the Pacific Ocean, gather mission-critical data and support range safety operations.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Russell Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, made the announcement.
“A new era of American maritime dominance and reindustrialization is finally well underway,” Vought said.
DOT said the pair also celebrated the christening of the Lone Star State, DOT’s fourth national security multi-mission vessel (NSMV), which will train the next generation of merchant mariners at Texas A&M Maritime Academy.
“What an incredible day for the nation’s maritime industry,” Duffy said. “We are sending a message that the next generation of maritime leaders are worth investing in.”
Warning On False Distress Calls
Citing the number of false distress calls in the Great Lakes District, the Coast Guard announced it is raising awareness of the dangers and penalties associated with hoax distress calls, including those transmitted via radio, phone and social media.
Since October 1, 2025, Coast Guard command center watchstanders in the Great Lakes District have received 156 false distress calls, including three confirmed hoaxes. According to the Coast Guard announcement, a hoax may include knowingly and willfully communicating a false distress message to the service while a false distress alert can result from misunderstanding, accidental transmissions or outdated information.
Citing 14 U.S.C. § 521(c), the Coast Guard said initiating a hoax or causing it to attempt to save lives and property when no help is needed is a federal felony and punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment and/or a monetary fine.
That statute also provides for a civil penalty of up to $13,295 and holds individuals liable for all costs the Coast Guard incurs as a result of their actions, the service added.
“Intentionally misleading emergency responders is both dangerous and illegal,” said Capt. Mark Kuperman, chief of staff, Great Lakes District. “This can be especially detrimental during the summer months when resources are in constant demand.”
FEMA Reform
Top leaders of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee once again are pushing for action on their bill to reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-Mo.) noted certain goals in President Donald Trump’s FEMA Review Council’s mirrored provisions in H.R.4669.
“Now that the FEMA Review Council’s recommendations have been released, we hope we can move forward with passing the FEMA Act,” Graves said during a recent hearing on the need to improve federal disaster assistance and FEMA.
During his opening statement, Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), the panel’s ranking member, said he cannot overstate the importance of the hearing.
“The effectiveness of FEMA is a life or death matter,” Larsen said. “We do agree, like we have for years, that FEMA needs real reform.” He noted that it is closing in on a year since the committee by a vote of 57 to 3 approved the reform bill.
Meanwhile, on the Senate side, Cameron Hamilton’s nomination to be the next FEMA administrator appeared on the July 22 agenda of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Monitoring The Arctic
The Coast Guard announced it secured the U.S. Arctic as it monitored two Chinese research vessels, the Xue Long and the Xue Long 2, as they arrived in the Bering Sea.
“Alongside the Department of War, the Department of State, and our international partners, we are actively responding to competitor activities across an increasingly contested Arctic,” said Rear Adm. Bob Little, commander, Coast Guard Arctic District.
In recent years, the Coast Guard has observed heightened activity in the U.S. Arctic and anticipates continued and increased presence in the region this summer.
While foreign vessels are permitted to operate within the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and over the U.S. extended continental shelf in accordance with international law, the Coast Guard said, conducting marine scientific research within the two areas would require advance permission from the United States and subsequent sharing of information collected.
