Nov. 21, 2019 —
The Coast Guard accepted delivery of CGNR 2308 following the completion of upgrades that included Ocean Sentry Refresh modifications and installation of the Minotaur Mission System. The aircraft (shown above prior to the completion of upgrades) returned to operational service Oct. 31, 2019.U.S. Coast Guard photo.
The Coast Guard accepted delivery of its sixth HC-144B Ocean Sentry medium range surveillance aircraft outfitted with both the Ocean Sentry Refresh (OSR) modifications and the Minotaur mission system Oct. 31, 2019. Modifications were completed at the Aviation Logistics Center in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
The OSR project upgrades the aircraft with a new flight management system, which manages communication control, navigation and equipment monitoring. Upon completion of the OSR upgrades, each aircraft is redesignated as an HC-144B.
Minotaur integrates installed sensors and radar and provides dramatically improved data fusion as well as information processing and sharing capabilities.
Missionization and upgrade of a seventh HC-144 is scheduled for completion by the end of December and the Coast Guard inducted its eighth HC-144 into the missionization process on Nov. 1, 2019. The service plans to upgrade each of the service’s 18 HC-144s by 2022.
For more information: HC-144 program page and Minotaur program page