The U.S. Coast Guard has launched the Office of Rapid Response and Prototyping, or CG-RAPTOR, to help identify and accelerate the development of new technologies to meet urgent operational requirements.
USCG said Friday CG-RAPTOR is a key component of the Force Design 2028 initiative, enabling the service to experiment with applications and business processes before making enterprise investments.
“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 Capt. 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,” Brick added.
What Is CG-RAPTOR?
CG-RAPTOR is the Coast Guard’s rapid-response innovation engine designed to identify, prototype and rapidly field breakthrough technologies to address operational gaps.
The office aims to accelerate the “idea-to-operations” cycle by promoting close collaboration among operators, industry leaders and subject matter experts to facilitate the delivery of new technologies every 30 days. To drive informed requirements and decisive action, CG-RAPTOR has been conceived to leverage real-time feedback, eliminate information silos and fosters a risk-tolerant culture.
In 150 days, CG-RAPTOR has introduced advanced unmanned systems, secure communications platforms, real-time readiness tracking capabilities and personnel management tools.
According to USCG, the office was scheduled Friday to host a demonstration in San Diego for Coast Guard personnel, showcasing cutting-edge sensor data and video feed integration designed to provide a unified operational picture and enhance tactical situational awareness.
What Is Force Design 2028?
Launched in April 2025, Force Design 2028 is the Coast Guard’s roadmap for ensuring readiness to meet future national requirements. Through the initiative, the service aims to promote a culture of innovation to protect the homeland, deliver peace through strength and counter adversaries.
The initiative focuses on four campaigns: people; organization; acquisition and contracting; and technology. Efforts under the acquisition and contracting campaign include eliminating bureaucratic delays, increasing the service’s engagement with the Defense Innovation Unit and developing a contract-tracking system to improve transparency and accountability.
