890 
for oceanographic purposes. So this was a compromise that the Coast 
Guard reached considering its various programs. 
Mr. Cruincan. Thank you. I certainly wasn’t criticizing your opera- 
tional decisions. I was simply asking the questions to illustrate that 
you had priorities within the Department with regard to these science 
capabilities and that compared to other functions of the Department, 
you have felt that they would have to yield. 
Mr. Brees. And I am afraid that under the budgetary pressures 
we are under in this country that there is going to have to be some 
future adjustment as well, because the Coast Guard fleet is getting 
very old indeed, and those ships are going to have to be replaced by 
whichever ¢ agency has the Coast Guard under its jurisdiction. 
The average age of the Coast Guard fleet is almost 25 years and this 
is at the point where you have to consider replacing the entire fleet 
and that is a major expenditure. 
Mr. Crtncan. I have one additional question, Mr. Chairman. 
Mr. Schadeberg asked you about dividing up the functions of the 
Coast Guard, and I think you mentioned management advantages of 
keeping those functions together. This is the point that the Commission 
was trying to make when they made their recommendations with 
regard to NOAA. 
My question is, if you had to choose between fractionating the Coast 
Guard or transferring to another agency, which would you prefer? 
Mr. Brees. If that hard choice had to be made, I would prefer to 
see those functions that are related to transportation remain with the 
Department of Transportation and spin off the research and develop- 
ment activities to the new agency. 
That would be my personal choice, because I feel strongly 
that the transportation resources are needed in the Department of 
Transportation. 
Mr. Karru. Would counsel yield ? 
Mr. Crinean. Certainly. 
Mr. Karrn. In other words, in that particular area, you and the 
admiral are at odds? 
Mr. Brees. I think the adhe would prefer to hold the whole 
organization together. I will let him speak for himself. 
Mr. Kartu. He said that before. Counsel and Mr. Chairman, let 
me just say this. I have a great deal of respect for Mr. Beggs. I knew 
him when he was in the National Aeronautics and Space Administra- 
tion. I have a great deal of respect for that agency in spite of my 
repeated oversight investigations, Mr, Chairman. 
But I want to say for the record that there is no question in my 
mind but that NASA would never have been as successful as it has 
been, had it not had the dual responsibility of research and develop- 
ment and, had one agency of Government done the research on the 
planetary, the interplanetary program, the lunar programs, all the 
scientific programs related to either one of thos three, the communica- 
tions program, meteorological programs and another agency had the 
responsibility for the development of them, I doubt seriously that any 
of those programs would have been nearly so successful as they have 
been under NASA. 
I think evidence is replete with that. As a matter of fact and I think 
it has been well established. I just want that in the record, I disagree 
