Scramble Magazine – June 2018
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Scramble 469
that will use it for airborne scientific research activities and
range surveillance. A few have been parked at the Boneyard,
at Davis Monthan AFB, Tucson, AZ.
For Medium Range Surveillance (MRS) patrol duty, the USCG
operates 18 CASA HC-144A Ocean Sentry twin-turboprop air-
craft. The first HC-144A was delivered to the USCG in 2006.
Initially a total of 36 aircraft were planned to be procured,
but halfway the total order (the 18th HC-144A was delivered
in October 2014) budget strains and the possibility to obtain
fourteen decommissioned Alenia USAF C-27J Spartans at no
cost have caused the order for the remaining 18 HC-144s to
be cancelled: converting the 14 Spartans would be cheaper
and faster.
The first HC-27J was delivered to the USCG HC-27J Asset
Project Office (APO) at USCG Air Station Elizabeth City, NC
in March 2016. USCG Air Station Sacramento, CA became the
first operational unit on the HC-27J in May 2017. The Spartan
replaces the HC-130H (which flew their last mission out of
Sacramento in June 2016). The 309th Aerospace Maintenance
and Regeneration Group at Davis Monthan AFB, AZ finished
regenerating the last HC-27J (2705), which was transferred to
the USCG APO on October 19th.
USCG Air Station St. Petersburg / Clearwater, FLa
St. Petersburg Air Station was commissioned on Albert
Whitted Airport in 1935. First aircraft assigned were a Douglas
RD-4 Dolphin, and 2 Grumman JF-2 Ducks. In its
first years, the based aircraft were mainly used
for search and rescue efforts, checking of navi-
gation aids and hazards to marine shipping and
- although Prohibition was repealed and alcohol
smuggling had decreased significantly – looking
for illegal liquor stills.
During the first years of World War II the USCG
received the task to combat the German subma-
rine campaign. Unfortunately the aircraft were
not designed for this task, and could not stop the
Germans to wreak death and destruction. Only
after the Air Station received aircraft designed for
the submarine patrol duty, the German submarine
operations could be stalled. The primary mission
shifted to search and rescue operations.
In November 1944 an Air Sea Rescue organization
was formed nationwide. The USCG was placed in
charge as the control agency with authorization to
direct all Armed Forces resources to respond in life
saving operations. The Consolidated PBY-5A Cat-
alina and Martin PBM Mariner aircraft assigned
to St. Petersburg Air Station were all designed for
this role, and formed the backbone of the postwar
search and rescue missions. By the mid 1950s the helicopter
was assigned to St. Petersburg too.
In 1976 the USCG began adopting the new HC-130H Hercu-
les aircraft. It was foreseen to also assign the Hercules to
St. Petersburg. However, the Hercules needed substantially
more runway and maintenance facilities. This required
substantial expansion to St. Petersburg Air Station, but the
limited land near the base prevented such development. As a
result, the USCG made the decision to expand into the nearby
area of Clearwater, and moved to St. Petersburg / Clearwater
International Airport. The name changed to USCG Air Station
Clearwater.
The area of operations, not only includes South Florida, but
also includes the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean basin, and
the Bahamas. The Air Station constantly maintain deployed
MH-60s for Operations Bahamas, Turks and Caicos (OPBAT),
a joint DEA, USCG, Bahamian Turks and Caicos anti-drug and
migrant smuggling operation in the Bahamas. HC-130s are
deployed in support of Joint Interagency Task Force (JIATF)
operations in the Caribbean. USCG Air Station Clearwater is
planned to lose its Hercules air component.
The author wishes to thank PAO USCG Air Station Clearwater, in
particular PA2 Johnson, for the cooperation during my visit on
August 8th, 2017.
The MH-65D is used in support of OPBAT, 6597 is seen here in Georgetown, Bahamas.
Backbone of the helicopter assets and with live-saving long range is the MH-60T Jayhawk, like this 6036.
