USCG awards Minotaur retrofit option
The US Coast Guard (USCG) has awarded a contract option worth around $3.6 million to L3 Technologies Integrated Systems Platform Integration Division for Minotaur missionisation of one HC-130J Super Hercules long range surveillance aircraft, the agency announced on 22 June.
This will be the last aircraft in the agency’s HC-130J fleet outfitted with the legacy mission system; all new aircraft are being outfitted with the Minotaur mission system upon delivery.
The aircraft, CGNR 2001, will undergo the integration process in early 2019, with delivery scheduled for late 2019.
Minotaur is a mission system architecture that incorporates sensors, radar and C4ISR equipment that enables aircrew to gather and process surveillance information for transmission to other platforms and units during flight. The USCG is integrating the mission system across most variants of its fixed-wing aircraft.
More from Naval Warfare
-
AUKUS advance on UUVs contrasts with Virginia-class compromise
The AUKUS partnership is accelerating uncrewed undersea capability while its submarine arm inches forward, and Australia’s decision to settle for three in-service Virginia-class boats raises questions about industrial risk, dependency and whether Pillar II may deliver meaningful capability long before Pillar I can.
-
Peru partnership may serve as a template for South Korean naval exports into South America
With a growing pipeline of naval modernisation programmes in South America, South Korean companies could be set to expand their presence in the region as recent contract wins highlight growing collaboration.
-
AUKUS plan B? Japan’s submarines stopgap gains traction
Australia’s Collins-class life of type extension has revived debate over whether Canberra needs a contingency plan as risks to every stage of the AUKUS pathway mount. With Japan newly open to exports, the case for a diesel-electric stopgap is gaining traction.