USAF to transfer 14 Alenia Aermacchi C-27J aircraft to USCG

The US Coast Guard (USCG) will receive 14 Alenia Aermacchi C-27J aircraft from the US Air Force (USAF) as part of an intra-service transfer.

The US President Barak Obama approved the transfer through the Congressional passage of the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act and formally signed into law.

As per the law, 14 of the current USAF’s C-27J aircraft will be promptly transferred to the USCG while initial flight operations of the aircraft are scheduled to begin within 6-12 months.

Alenia Aermacchi North American business unit president and chief executive officer Benjamin Stone said the USCG will receive an aircraft featuring advanced medium surveillance capabilities to perform critical missions.

"The C-27J will play an important role in improving the response capability and operational effectiveness of the USCG and generating significant cost savings for the taxpayer," Stone added.

The USCG is expected to immediately begin the expanding capabilities of the C-27Js with mission kits to include surface-search radars, electro-optical sensors and mission suites installed on all 14 planes.

"The C-27J will provide the USCG with greater range, endurance, speed and payload capacity than other twin turboprops in its inventory, and the capability to perform both medium and long-range missions," Stone continued.

The aircraft will be used to support medium range surveillance USCG missions including such as maritime patrol, drug and migrant interdiction, disaster response, and search and rescue.