On Sept. 24, 2026, the U.S. Coast Guard leveraged existing U.S. Air Force contracts to order six baseline C-130J long-range surveillance aircraft from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Marietta, Georgia.
This acquisition expands the Coast Guard’s C-130J program to 25 total aircraft. The Coast Guard expects to receive the first C-130J from Lockheed Martin in fiscal year (FY) 2028, with all six arriving by the end of FY 2030. Following delivery, the Coast Guard will award separate contracts to configure the aircraft to meet the Coast Guard’s mission requirements that designate the aircraft as HC-130Js.
These acquisitions continue the ongoing modernization of the Coast Guard’s aviation fleet. Compared with the legacy C-130H model, the new C-130J aircraft features a more advanced engine and propellers, yielding a 20% increase in speed and altitude, as well as a 40% increase in range.
HC-130J aircraft operate in core Coast Guard missions including counterdrug operations, alien interdictions, and search-and-rescue recoveries. The fleet is vital to the Coast Guard’s efforts to save lives, secure, control, and defend the U.S. border and maritime approaches, facilitate commerce vital to economic prosperity, and respond to crises and contingencies.
“The HC-130J is the largest and most capable airlift asset for the Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security,” said Michael Haycock, director of systems integration (CG-SI). “Expanding our fleet supports the most critical Coast Guard missions and those of our DHS partners.”
This procurement also supports the Coast Guard’s plans to expand its HC-130J operations to additional air stations, including Air Station Sacramento, California, which received its first HC-130J in July 2026. The Coast Guard currently operates the HC-130J out of three air stations: Elizabeth City, North Carolina; Kodiak, Alaska; and Barbers Point, Hawaii.
The Coast Guard funded this acquisition using up to $735 million of the $1.412 billion provided by the fiscal year 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act for fixed-wing aircraft. The FY 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act is part of a comprehensive strategy to invest in Coast Guard facilities and infrastructure, supporting execution of missions across the country. To date, the Coast Guard has awarded approximately $19 billion across reconciliation projects throughout the United States.