Maritime Executive: U.S. Coast Guard Invests $50M to Revamp Mariner Licensing System

American mariners are used to dealing with an extended and time-consuming administrative process whenever they go for a license upgrade or renewal. The U.S. Coast Guard’s credentialing system works, but only slowly, and with considerable friction – a known impediment to creating new mariners and keeping current ones working in the industry. The service is aware of the difficulties and frustrations of the existing process, and with the giant cash infusion it received under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, it is making a landmark investment in its IT infrastructure. 

To revamp the process, the service awarded Salesforce consultancy Stealth Solutions Inc. a contract worth up to $50 million over five years. The scope covers everything related to updating and streamlining the credentialing process and mariner credentialing requirements. Stealth is in Sterling, Virginia, just an hour’s drive from the Coast Guard’s credentialing headquarters in the small country town of Martinsburg, West Virginia. 

The project also includes work on the web platform Navita, the Latin word for “mariner,” a planned public-facing portal for applicants and employee-facing database for mariner documents and approvals. It is intended to replace manual processes that slow down credential review and issuance. Navita was initiated last year with funds in the 2024 Department of Homeland Security Appropriation Act. The Coast Guard has now ordered the development of the platform’s first release, worth $3.8 million. 

“The Navita system represents a transformative leap forward in supporting America’s maritime industry, providing our merchant mariners—who are vital to our nation’s economy and security—with a streamlined process to receive their credentials with speed and focus,” said Rear Adm. Wayne Arguin, Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy. “By improving our service delivery, we are advancing the effort to Restore American Maritime Dominance.”