April 22, 2016 —
The Coast Guard's C-130Js are produced by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Marietta, Georgia. Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.
Using funds transferred from the Coast Guard, the Air Force awarded a $61.3 million contract to Lockheed Martin Corp. on April 18, 2016, for production of one C-130J long range surveillance aircraft, the 13th of the Coast Guard's planned acquisition of 22 C-130Js. The plane is contracted for delivery in March 2019. All work will be completed at the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics facility in Marietta, Georgia.
The Air Force is the U.S. government's executive agent for all C-130 procurements. This award is part of a multiyear contract constructed in alignment with the government's Better Buying Power initiative. The contract includes options for the Coast Guard to acquire up to three additional C-130Js.
Additionally, the Coast Guard has initiated efforts to implement a new standardized mission system, which includes the next-generation Navy Minotaur mission control processor to incorporate the radar, sensors and the other equipment, across the HC-130J fleet.
The Coast Guard has accepted delivery of seven Super Hercules aircraft. Five are operational HC-130Js. One delivered aircraft has been designated as a Minotaur prototype, and another has entered the Minotaur program.
Two more aircraft in the LRS system are being configured to meet legacy missionization requirements and will be delivered to the Coast Guard later this year.
Aircraft 10-12 are also under the contract, with delivery of base configuration aircraft expected in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Those aircraft, plus this latest C-130J order, will be missionized upon delivery with the Minotaur mission system by L-3 Communications in Waco, Texas.
The Super Hercules carries out many Coast Guard missions, including search and rescue, drug and migrant interdiction, cargo and personnel transport, and maritime stewardship. The aircraft is capable of serving as an on-scene command and control platform or as a surveillance platform with the means to detect, classify and identify objects and share that information with operational forces.