US Coast Guard to Convert New Transport Aircraft into Surveillance Aircraft
The US Coast Guard is seeking companies to convert its new C-130J transport aircraft into HC-130J surveillance aircraft.
Polygonjournal reports that the US Coast Guard’s Aviation Acquisition Office issued a Request for Information (RFI) on August 14 as part of market research for the program.
Companies are required to submit their responses to the RFI by September 17.
The overall program will cover 28 C-130J aircraft operated by the US Coast Guard and 12 C-130J aircraft operated by US Customs and Border Protection.
The initial contract will cover four aircraft. Three of these will be intended for the US Coast Guard, while one will be assigned to the Air and Marine Operations branch of US Customs and Border Protection.
As part of the program, the C-130J aircraft will be equipped with the Minotaur Mission System Suite+ (MSS+) mission system. Following the completion of the modifications, the aircraft will be designated as HC-130Js.
The MSS+ suite includes two Minotaur processors, two mission operator stations, an electro-optical and infrared sensor, and a multimode radar mounted on the underside of the aircraft’s fuselage. The system will also integrate a direction-finding system, an Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponder for vessel tracking, and various communications systems.
The aircraft will be equipped with two HF radios, two RT-7000 radios, and two ARC-210 radios with satellite communications capabilities.
In addition, the program includes an option to integrate a next-generation satellite communications terminal based on SpaceX’s Starshield satellite network. The terminal will be required to provide a minimum data transmission capacity of 1 terabyte per month.
Work on the program is planned to begin in fiscal year 2030. During the initial phase, four aircraft will be modified, followed by the modernization of one or two aircraft per year, depending on funding availability.
According to the RFI, the overall program could run from April 2028 through March 2038. The modification of each aircraft is expected to take no more than 12 months.
Based on the proposals and feedback received through the RFI, the US Coast Guard may issue a formal solicitation by the end of this year.
