46 Proceedings Summer 2025 and meet the demand for rapid access to deep technical expertise. The Coast Guard’s Office of C4 & Sensors Capabilities is working with MITRE to conduct an analysis of Rescue 21 (R21). R21 is a radio communications system that uses direction-finding, digital-selective calling, and high- quality audio recording and playback, which trans- formed the efficiency of Coast Guard SAR operations upon its inception. The acquisition project for R21 was originally charted in 1995 with the first phase of instal- lations completed in 2015. The launch of R21 revolution- ized command centers’ execution of SAR cases, but it has been over 20 years since the system reached initial oper- ating capability. The partnership with MITRE ensures the Coast Guard remains at the cutting edge of emerging technology and includes goals like: • Develop a “modernization in place” roadmap for R21 to accomplish a future coastal radio system, for example, next generation R21. Part of this analysis will include feasibility to aug- ment coastal radio with space infrastructure to expand coverage in difficult to reach areas such as Alaska. • Analyze mission requirements and develop comprehensive operational specifications for deployable special forces command, control, communication, computer, cyber, and intelli- gence (C5I) systems, with a focus on the inter- play between capabilities, particularly with regards to data. • Test the interoperability of high-frequency (HF) communication between modernized Coast Guard and U.S. Naval HF systems, aiming to evaluate the feasibility of transmitting textual data in mid-latitude and Arctic regions. In support of this research, MITRE observed Sector Boston watchstanders in the fall of 2024 to observe the use of R21 and see the infrastructure footprint in the sector’s back rooms. Sector Boston not only provided awareness of the existing R21 equipment laydown, but more importantly they provided a fundamental under- standing of how a mission is executed within a com- mand center and how communications are used. MITRE has dozens of offices around the world, but one of their two principal offices is a few miles northwest of Boston in Bedford, Massachusetts, which makes Sector Boston a convenient place to conduct its research. Sector Boston is an eager participant and plays a crucial role in breaking the traditional approach of simply replac- ing old systems with new ones, instead driving innova- tion and progress. The collaboration with MITRE will enhance critical thinking about what types of decisions of technologies that can meaningfully enhance national defense capabilities in a way that can be delivered through effective technology transfer, either to industry partners or directly to sponsors like the U.S. Coast Guard.” What follows are some examples of the collaborations Sector Boston and local institutions have been involved with in the recent past. MIT Lincoln Laboratory The Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T) needs assistance pre- paring for future threats and understanding advances in emerging technologies. To support DHS mission areas, DHS S&T is investing in explainable artificial intelli- gence (XAI) research to ensure the likelihood that AI solutions are effectively designed and used by end users. Enter MIT Lincoln Laboratory and its three-year research project aimed at providing a greater understanding of the benefits and risks associated with successful adop- tion of AI capabilities across DHS. As part of its multiyear research, MIT Lincoln Laboratory collaborated with Sector Boston’s Command Center to explore human-centered, participatory design of XAI tools. The goal was to understand the unique chal- lenges and opportunities of the Coast Guard’s search and rescue (SAR) mission, work alongside command center watchstanders to generate effective XAI solution ideas, gather input on explainability features, and prototype solutions to better address real-world operational needs. The MIT Lincoln Laboratory researchers’ objec- tives included learning about the SAR mission, how watchstanders would expect data to populate in a docu- mentation tool, and developing an AI prototype with explainability built in. The researchers used numer- ous methods during the process, including observa- tions, interviews, and storyboarding. Although it is a DHS S&T-funded project, the Coast Guard is a direct beneficiary of the research which has the potential to drastically improve the way SAR cases are executed and aligns with the 2024 Coast Guard Operational Posture Statement to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in SAR by employing emerging technologies. MITRE MITRE is an organization that applies systems think- ing across government, industry, and academia to solve whole-of-nation challenges. MITRE’s toolkit encompasses federally funded research and development centers, lab- oratories, independent research, strategic partnerships, and a technological foundation, all dedicated to pioneer- ing a better future. In 2009, MITRE was selected to oper- ate the Homeland Security Systems Engineering and Development Institute, which was established by DHS to serve as its primary systems engineering resource
