DHS approves C-27J next phase
The US Coast Guard’s Medium Range Surveillance (MRS) Aircraft programme has reached a new milestone, with the Department of Homeland Security clearing the programme to move into its next phase, the coast guard announced on 14 November.
The coast guard is receiving 14 C-27J aircraft from the US Air Force under the programme. Under the next phase – the Produce/Deploy and Support phase – the focus will shift to providing full logistics support to field units. It will also allow the coast guard to proceed with mission systems integration.
The MRS programme has had to develop new maintenance procedures, training plans and means for obtaining spare parts as the aircraft began arriving from the air force. At the same time, planning has had to take into account operations for the HC-144 Ocean Sentry acquisition, which is also managed under MRS.
The US Coast Guard is working with Naval Air Systems Command to develop systems that will enhance and expand the aircraft’s capabilities for its specific mission needs. The C-27J mission package is based on the US Navy’s Minotaur mission system suite that the coast guard is implementing across the rest of its fixed-wing fleet.
Rick Seitz, MRS programme manager, said: ‘The C-27J programme is not a normal acquisition. In a normal acquisition, a programme will have three to five years to complete all the documentation to reach an acquisition decision event (ADE) and will then begin receiving aircraft.
‘In this case, the aircraft came first. As a result, the programme team had to play catch-up, knocking out all the documentation necessary to reach a successful ADE result in less than a year and a half.’
Nine C-27Js have completed the regeneration process to bring them out of long-term storage. Two more are expected to be accepted before the end of 2016.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![BMT and DNV partner to meet Australia’s heavy landing craft requirement]()
BMT and DNV partner to meet Australia’s heavy landing craft requirement
Under Project Land 8710 Phase 2, Australia has been seeking to acquire an undisclosed number of Littoral Manoeuvre Vessels to replace the Balikpapan-class. The programme has an estimated value of AU$1.4 billion (US$910 million), with IOC slated for 2032.
-
![Babcock to take over upkeep of Royal Navy Type-23 frigates]()
Babcock to take over upkeep of Royal Navy Type-23 frigates
The Royal Navy’s Type-23 Duke-class frigates for the UK Royal Navy were designed as anti-submarine warfare (ASW) ships but now have a multi-role function. Of the 16 Type 23s built, 12 remain in service with the Royal Navy and will be replaced by the Type-26 frigates before 2035.
-
![Austal completes autonomy trials with former Royal Australian Navy patrol boat]()
Austal completes autonomy trials with former Royal Australian Navy patrol boat
The work took place under the Patrol Boat Autonomy Trial (PBAT), which has been a collaboration between Austal, Greenroom Robotics, the Trusted Autonomous Systems Defence Cooperative Research Centre and the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) Warfare Innovation Navy Branch.
-
![Singapore launches fourth and final Type 218SG submarine]()
Singapore launches fourth and final Type 218SG submarine
The era of southeast Asian submarine modernisation has been in full swing fuelled by growing tensions in the South China Sea.
-
![Keel laid for third Hellenic Navy frigate as harbour trials start for first]()
Keel laid for third Hellenic Navy frigate as harbour trials start for first
On 24 March 2022, Greece and Naval Group have signed a contract for three defence and intervention (FDI) frigates. Two warships will be due for delivery in 2025 and the third expected the following year, with the deal including an option to add a fourth frigate to be ready in 2027.
