The Coast Guard last Friday accepted delivery of the first of six missioned HC-130J long range surveillance maritime patrol aircraft, the most capable aircraft in the service’s inventory, the Coast Guard said.
Two more HC-130Js are expected to be delivered this month by Lockheed Martin [LMT] as part of the Coast Guard’s Deepwater modernization program. The company expects to be under contract soon for a fourth aircraft with follow-on contracts later this year for the last two HC-130Js.
Under Deepwater, Lockheed Martin is upgrading the service’s HC-130Js with new mission equipment and sensor packages designed for improved search, detection and tracking capabilities for maritime search and rescue, law enforcement and homeland security missions. The new equipment includes a belly-mounted surface search radar, a nose-mounted electro-optical infrared sensor, a flight deck mission operator station and a mission integrated communication system. The aircraft retains its full cargo carrying capability as well.