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Current assets
Nowadays the USCG uses both the Short Range Recovery
(SRR) MH-65 Dolphin and Medium Range Recovery (MRR)
MH-60T Jayhawk helicopters. The fixed wing aircraft in the
USCG inventory are the Long Range Surveillance Aircraft
(LRSA) HC-130H Hercules and HC-130J Super Hercules. The
Medium Range Surveillance Aircraft (MRSA) are the HC-144
Ocean Sentry and HC-27J Spartan.
The Eurocopter HH-65 Dolphin was selected in 1979 to be the
next new short range recovery (SRR) air-sea rescue helicop-
ter. Over the years the HH-65 went through some updates, to
come to the HH-65C with improved engines. With the drug
traffickers becoming more violently, and their boats becom-
ing faster, many HH-65C were equipped with an ‘airborne
use of force’ (AUF) package. This MH-65C helicopter is armed
with anti-material rifle and machine gun, and gives the crew
the capability of fire warning and disabling shots from the
air. The MH-65C was upgraded with a new flight navigation
system. These MH-65D-version, will now be modernized to
MH-65E by installing a digital glass cockpit. The first E’s have
entered service in 2017.
The other USCG helicopter is the Sikorsky MH-60T Jayhawk.
The Jayhawk was selected to replace the USCG HH-3F Pelicans.
The helicopter is based on the US Navy SH-60 Seahawk. First
flight was in 1989, and the first HH-60 entered USCG service
in 1991. The USCG ordered 42 HH-60Js. Beginning 2007, the
HH-60Js were upgraded and redesignated to MH-60T. Part
of the upgrade was the adding of the AUF package. As a
replacement for the three Jayhawks that were written off
over the years, the USCG converted three former US Navy
SH-60F Seahawks into MH-60Ts. Another three Seahawks
were converted to MH-60Ts, which will be assigned to USCG
Air Station Traverse City, MI. Replacing the MH-65s, the new
MH-60Ts will increase the search and rescue capabilities for
the Great Lakes.
In 1959 the USCG received its first Lockheed HC-130B Hercu-
les for long range search and rescue missions, and cargo and
personnel transport. The Hercules turned out to be a large,
rugged, and extremely reliable aircraft, that could cruise on
two of its four engines thereby greatly extending its range.
In the late sixties, early seventies, the USCG began equipping
with the HC-130H.
The first HC-130J Super Hercules was accepted by the USCG in
2008. The HC-130J is credited with about 20 percent greater
speed and 40 percent more range than the HC-130H. It can
also be operated with a two-man flight crew (compared to 4
to 5 in the HC-130H), resulting in lower operating costs. The
USCG hopes to acquire a total of 22 HC-130Js. The USCG would
have preferred to replace all HC-130Hs with the new HC-130J
immediately, but lack of funds prevented this from happen-
ing. The USCG has received ten HC-130Js so far.
Some of the current HC-130Hs were equipped with upgraded
radar and avionics. They also received structural enhance-
ments to extend their service lives. In total seven of the
redundant HC-130Hs have been transferred to the US Forest
Service to be converted to Air Tankers, of which 1708 and
1718 (as 116 and 118 respectively) are already active in their
new role. One HC-130H, 1717, transferred to NASA in 2014,
Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) involves cooperation in the Caribbean to counter drug trafficking. Another example of cross
service cooperation is the Joint Interagency Task Force supported by USCG HC-130Hs, also in the Caribbean.
Anytime, anywhere, even when adverse weather is expected... The US Coast Guard will deploy.
