USCG receives 16th Ocean Sentry MPA

A new HC-144A Ocean Sentry maritime patrol aircraft has been delivered to the US Coast Guard by Airbus Group. This is the 16th Ocean Sentry for the US Coast Guard, with another two aircraft scheduled for delivery during 2014.

The 15 Ocean Sentries already in service with the US Coast Guard are operated from Coast Guard Air Stations in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Mobile, Alabama, and Miami, Florida. A fourth HC-144A air station will be stood up in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The Ocean Sentry is based on the Airbus CN235 tactical airlifter. As a maritime patrol aircraft, the HC-144A is equipped with search radar, electro-optical and infrared cameras, an Automatic Identification System for data collection from vessels at sea, and a communications suite. It serves a wide range of missions, including drug and migrant interdiction, disaster response and search and rescue.

Sean O’Keefe, chairman and CEO, Airbus Group, said: ‘The coast guard competitively selected and is buying the HC-144A because it has proven to effectively and efficiently perform the broad range of demanding maritime patrol missions, including search and rescue, homeland security, disaster response and national defence.

‘The Department of Homeland Security recently recognised the coast guard’s HC-144A maritime patrol aircraft programme as the DHS Project of the Year, and we’re proud to have worked with them to deliver this capability consistently on schedule and on cost. We are pleased to be members of the coast guard aviation community and to support the dedicated men and women who protect our nation’s coasts and waterways.’