The US Coast Guard will receive all 14 of the Air National Guard’s C-27J Spartans remaining in storage at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., manufacturer Alenia announced this week. Congress approved the intra-service transfer deal in the 2014 defense authorization bill, which President Obama signed late last month. “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,” said Alenia North America President and CEO Benjamin Stone. The aircraft will enter service in the maritime patrol, counter narcotics, and search roles within six months to a year. All 14 aircraft eventually will be upgraded with search radar and specialized mission sensors. Seven of the 21 divested airframes already have been assigned to US Special Operations Command. In exchange for the new aircraft, USCG will transfer seven of its HC-130s to the US Forest Service for conversion to firefighting tankers.
Air Force Munitions Gets Big Boost from Reconciliation
June 28, 2025
Thanks to reconciliation, the fiscal 2026 Air Force budget would get a surge of munitions procurement, but it's not yet clear if the production increase will be sustained. The Air Force revealed the secret AIM-260 air-to-air missile's funding for the first time.