April 9, 2021 —
Using funds transferred from the Coast Guard, the U.S. Air Force awarded a $73 million contract to Lockheed Martin Corp. on April 8 for the production of one C-130J Super Hercules long range surveillance aircraft, the 18th of the Coast Guard’s planned acquisition of 22 C-130Js. The plane is contracted for delivery in 2025. All work will be completed at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics’ Marietta, Georgia, facility.
The Air Force is the government’s executive agent for all C-130 procurements. The Coast Guard order was part of a larger $3 billion multiyear contract action by the Air Force that included options for six Coast Guard C-130J aircraft.
The Coast Guard will award separate post production contracts to configure the aircraft to meet its mission requirements, referred to as missionization, which will result in the aircraft's redesignation as an HC-130J.
The Coast Guard currently operates 13 HC-130Js as part of its long range surveillance aircraft fleet. Two C-130Js are undergoing missionization with deliveries expected in September 2021 and June 2022. Two additional C-130Js are under construction, with delivery in 2023 and 2024. Upon delivery to the Coast Guard, missionization of these aircraft will take an additional year.
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.
For more information: HC-130J Long Range Surveillance Aircraft program page