Airbus Defense and Space Delivers 18th HC-144A Aircraft to US Coast Guard

 

HERNDON, VA--(Marketwired - Oct 7, 2014) - Airbus Defense and Space, Inc. has delivered the 18th HC-144A Ocean Sentry maritime patrol aircraft to the U.S. Coast Guard. The Ocean Sentry is based on the Airbus CN235 tactical airlifter with more than 235 currently in operation by 29 countries.

The latest HC-144A will join a fleet of Ocean Sentries operating from Coast Guard Air Stations in Cape Cod, Mass.; Mobile, Ala.; Miami and most recently Corpus Christi, Texas. This month Air Station Corpus Christi turned over the maritime patrol mission to the HC-144 after the retirement of the last HU-25 Guardian aircraft.

"Airbus Defense and Space is dedicated to supporting the U.S. Coast Guard's HC-144A fleet and will provide technical engineering services and spare parts for decades to come," said Mike Cosentino president of Airbus Defense and Space, Inc. "The ease of maintenance and low operating costs have allowed the Coast Guard to achieve exceptional operational effectiveness and reliability with the HC-144A."

The Coast Guard competitively selected and acquired the HC-144A. The aircraft is effective and efficient in a broad range of demanding maritime patrol missions, including search and rescue, homeland security and disaster response.

The Department of Homeland Security recognized the Coast Guard's HC-144A program as its 2013 DHS Project of the Year. Airbus Defense and Space has worked to deliver to the Coast Guard this capability consistently on or ahead of schedule and on cost. The HC-144A achieved initial operational capability with the Coast Guard in 2008.

The U.S. Coast Guard's Ocean Sentry fleet recently completed its first 50,000 hours of flight. The demonstrated maintainability of the HC-144A aircraft allows the Coast Guard to fly more hours per airframe in a year with the Ocean Sentry than any other aircraft in its fleet.

US Coast Guard Takes Delivery of 15th HC-144A Ocean Sentry Aircraft

Seville, Spain – Members of the Coast Guard’s acceptance team were on hand to accept delivery of the 15th HC-144A Ocean Sentry. Later this year, the aircraft will become the third of four planned Ocean Sentries operating from Air Station Cape Cod, Mass. U.S. Coast Guard photo.

Blog Editor Note: While running a PC-ALE scan of the COTHEN HF network today, I spotted the Coast Guard's newest HC-144A (CG 2315/N15) sounding in the network. This aircraft is the third of four Ocean Sentry's to be based at CGAS Cape Cod, MA

EADS North America Delivers 15th HC-144A Ocean Sentry to U.S. Coast Guard

The U.S. Coast Guard took delivery of its 15th HC-144A Ocean Sentry maritime patrol aircraft from prime contractor EADS North America. The Ocean Sentry is based on the Airbus Military CN235 tactical airlifter, more than 230 of which are currently in operation by 29 countries.

The latest aircraft delivered on-time and on-budget, will join a fleet of Ocean Sentries performing in a range of different roles from Coast Guard Air Stations in Cape Cod, Mass., Mobile, Ala., and Miami. With the ability to remain airborne for more than ten hours, the Ocean Sentry is performing a wide range of maritime patrol missions for the Coast Guard, including drug and migrant interdiction, disaster response, and search and rescue.

"In today's tight budget environment, the U.S. Coast Guard needs programs that deliver what's been promised," said Sean O'Keefe, EADS North America Chairman and CEO.

"EADS North America and Airbus Military are proud to be working with the USCG to field this capability consistently on schedule and on cost, and will continue to support this mission."

The United States Coast Guard operates fourteen HC-144A Ocean Sentry Maritime Patrol Aircraft and has three additional planes on order scheduled for delivery in 2013 and 2014. The Coast Guard plans for a fleet of 36 Ocean Sentries. The HC-144A achieved initial operational capability with the Coast Guard in 2008.