USCG orders six additional C-130J aircraft for fleet modernisation

The U.S. Coast Guard has ordered six baseline C-130J aircraft through existing Air Force contracts in a purchase valued at up to $735 million. Awarded on September 24 and announced on October 2, the acquisition will expand its Hercules fleet to twenty-five aircraft, with the first delivery expected in fiscal 2028 and all six by fiscal 2030. A separate contract will subsequently fit the aircraft with the mission equipment needed for the HC-130J configuration. The expanded fleet will support long-range surveillance, search and rescue, and counter-drug missions, including operations from the Coast Guard's growing network of air stations.