U.S. Coast Guard Launches RAPTOR to Identify Maritime Defense Solutions

The U.S. Coast Guard has unveiled 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 our solutions within 30, 60, and 90 days through collaboration with operators, industry leaders and subject matter experts.

The standup of CG-RAPTOR comes amid Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s push to change how the Coast Guard operates. A key component of the service’s Force Design 2028 initiative, the launch of CG-RAPTOR enables the Service to experiment with streamlined business processes and applications prior to making larger enterprise investments.

In the past 150 days, CG-RAPTOR has debuted unmanned systems, personnel management tools, secure communications platforms and real-time readiness tracking.

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.

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. The Coast Guard also surpassed its recruiting goals, welcoming over 5,200 new active-duty members, the highest annual total since 1991.

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.