“Airbus Defense and Space is dedicated to supporting
the U.S. Coast Guard’s HC-144A fleet and will provide technical
engineering services and spare parts for decades to come,” said
Mike Cosentino president of Airbus Defense and Space, Inc. “The
ease of maintenance and low operating costs have allowed the Coast Guard
to achieve exceptional operational effectiveness and reliability with
the HC-144A.”
The Coast Guard competitively selected and acquired the HC-144A.
The aircraft is effective and efficient in a broad range of demanding
maritime patrol missions, including search and rescue, homeland security
and disaster response.
The Department of Homeland Security recognized the Coast Guard’s
HC-144A program as its 2013 DHS Project of the Year. Airbus Defense
and Space has worked to deliver to the Coast Guard this capability
consistently on or ahead of schedule and on cost. The HC-144A achieved
initial operational capability with the Coast Guard in 2008.
The U.S. Coast Guard’s Ocean Sentry fleet recently completed
its first 50,000 hours of flight. The demonstrated maintainability
of the HC-144A aircraft allows the Coast Guard to fly more hours per
airframe in a year with the Ocean Sentry than any other aircraft in
its fleet.
