Port of Guam officials, citing national cybersecurity objectives, have appealed to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg for Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD) funds to replace three aging ship-to-shore gantry cranes.
“Our reliance on aging infrastructure, which could be compromised by adversaries, poses a national security risk,” Guam Gov. Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero said in a March letter to Buttigieg.
“If the port’s procurement is constrained due to funding stipulations, we risk delaying other vital infrastructure projects essential for our strategic readiness and may be forced to consider purchasing STS gantry cranes from China,” the letter states.
“We actively seek the department’s support to acquire new cranes, leveraging all available funding opportunities, even those beyond MARAD, adopting a comprehensive, whole-of-government approach,” the letter continues. “We share a mutual, unwavering commitment to enhancing cybersecurity and ensuring a resilient supply chain for Guam in the interest of commerce and national security.”
Federal Emergency Management Agency officials toured the Port Authority of Guam on March 5, and met with port officials regarding critical infrastructure grant applications. Several of the port’s maritime and upland assets sustained substantial damage as a result of Typhoon Mawar, a category 4 typhoon that struck the island in May 2023.
As of the end of March, the port was finalizing a scope-of-work cost estimate breakdown for submission to MARAD.