GAO have criticised a plan by the US Coast Guard to consolidate the service’s rotary-wing aviation fleet to a single helicopter type... on 9 April said the USCG has “not fully assessed whether this transition would result in the quantity of helicopters it needs”.
Under a $57.9 billion aviation modernisation initiative, the coastguard plans to eliminate its fleet of short-range MH-65D/E Dolphin, 98 of which are currently in service. Instead, the USCG will transition to an all medium-range fleet, adding aircraft in that category. Presently operates 48 MH-60T Jayhawks.
Notably, the USCG restructuring plan would result in fewer total aircraft – 127 MH-60T, compared with the current count of 146 helicopters in the mixed MH-65/MH-60T composition. This represents a 13% reduction in fleet size – for a service tasked with patrolling some 153,000km of coastline, including search and rescue, drug interdiction and inmigrant interdiction missions.
The 127 aircraft count will be achieved by refurbishing existing Jayhawks with new hulls from Sikorsky and converting used H-60-family aircraft from the US Navy. Sikorsky began delivering replacement MH-60T airframes to the coastguard in November 2023. The 10-year programme will extend the service life of 45 existing aircraft into the 2040s.
Officials with the USCG argue the constraints of a smaller rotorcraft fleet will be offset by the Jayhawk’s improved performance compared with the Dolphin. “the MH-60T helicopter has about double the range as the MH-65D/E helicopter”. However, auditors at the GAO appear sceptical of the argument that better range can make up for 19 fewer aircraft.
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