Air Station Miami welcomes the Ocean Sentry

Posted by LT Connie Braesch, Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Miami's first HC-144A

Air Station Miami’s Commanding Officer, CAPT Rick Kenin (left), along with the Executive Officer, CDR Mori Andrews (far right) and the Aviation Engineering Officer, CDR Ed Parkinson (middle), greet LT Tavis McElheny following the arrival of Air Station Miami's first HC-144A. Photo Courtesy of Air Station Miami.

The Coast Guard’s District 7 executes missions in an immense area stretching over 1.8 million square miles. As of this month, Coast Guard aviators have a new aircraft to fly those two million square miles – the HC-144A Ocean Sentry.

The HC-144A Ocean Sentry is the Coast Guard’s newest aircraft delivered as part of its recapitalization program and will serve as the service’s medium range surveillance aircraft. Air Station Miami is the second operational unit to fly the HC-144A, with the first being Aviation Training Center (ATC) Mobile.

Capable of remaining in flight in excess of nine hours, it doubles that of the hours for the legacy HU-25 Falcon. This greater endurance allows Coast Guard aircrews to remain on-scene longer, adding value to the execution of law enforcement, marine and environmental response and search and rescue missions.

Since the delivery of Air Station Miami’s first HC-144A on March 10, the pilots who will fly the Ocean Sentry have trained and transitioned their qualifications. The pilots attended a ten-week course at ATC Mobile where they familiarized themselves with the aircraft and studied the Sentry’s new systems.

In a series of extensive technical training, the avionics electrical technicians and aviation maintenance technicians at Air Station Miami have also begun transitioning qualifications, to include experienced operators arriving from ATC Mobile this summer.

HC-144A

The HC-144A Ocean Sentry is the first all-new aircraft delivered to the Coast Guard as part of its recapitalization program and will replace the Coast Guard's aging fleet of HU-25 Falcon jets as the service's medium range surveillance aircraft. U.S. Coast Guard photo.

A standard operational crew for the Ocean Sentry consists of two mission system operators (MSO), one drop master or load master (mission dependent) and one basic aircrewman.

The MSO position is a new role for aircrews with the arrival of the Ocean Sentry platform. MSOs are tasked with operating the on board mission system pallet (MSP) that combines a wide-ranging suite of electronic equipment that collects, compiles, interprets and disseminates data from the sensors and electronic equipment on the aircraft. These integrated components further improve situational awareness and responsiveness of Coast Guard aircrews.

Additionally, in a first for Coast Guard aviation, the Ocean Sentry is capable of transmitting and receiving Secret-level information, improving the Coast Guard’s interoperability with the Department of Defense.

Air Station Miami is proud of its 78-year history of aviation excellence and continues to stand ever at ready as the Coast Guard’s newest, and 16th airframe in it’s history, takes to the skies.

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  • Joe Fierro, Lt., USCG (Ret.)

    The Ocean Sentry with its capability to advance situational awareness and air mission superiority will surely compliment an already excellent unit. Best wishes and congratulations to a fine group of Guardians in D7!

  • Brian

    “Additionally, in a first for Coast Guard aviation, the Ocean Sentry is capable of transmitting and receiving Secret-level information, improving the Coast Guard’s interoperability with the Department of Defense.”

    Wrong. The falcon is currently doing this, and has had the capability for a decade now.

  • LTJG Stephanie Young

    Brian,

    Thank you for your comment and interest in the HC-144A Ocean Sentry. I have spoken to the project manager and staff for the HC-144A Ocean Sentry to receive some clarification.

    The HC-144A’s mission system pallet (MSP) is approximately 90 percent similar to the systems found on the HC-130H and HC-130J Long Range Surveillance aircraft.

    The MSP communication suite is different with regards to Secret-level information. It is the first airframe to have the authority to both transmit and receive Secret-level information via the Department of Defense’s Secure Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNET).

    Very Respectfully,
    LTJG S. Young
    Coast Guard Public Affairs