Every Coast Guard Aircraft Type Pictured Together In Rare ‘Family Photo’. Pictured: HC-130J, C-27J, HC-144, C-37B, MH-60T, MH-65E.
“The increased focus on homeland defense has translated to a budget influx for the U.S. Coast Guard, enabling the service to modernize its fleet, as a watchdog outlines a continued drop in readiness.
“The One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed in Congress and signed by President Donald Trump in July allotted the service $24.59 billion to be spent on readiness through 2029. That was in addition to the Coast Guard’s fiscal 2026 request of $14.5 billion.”
This provides a brief look at what we can expect in the future.
The slip in readiness is slight and, “While the Coast Guard fleet flies much more often than Defense Department aircraft, the Coast Guard has about the same readiness rate as the department, the CBO states.”
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
The USCG does fly more than most services and this is why they are so insistent on their logistics and maintenance practices. A common fleet of specific aircraft is their goal for efficient logistics/maintenance, and the HC-130J Fleet is there. The HC-27Js are well on their way, and the HC-144s are already there. The Gulfstream fleet supports more than just USCG tasking supporting some DHS tasking. The MH-60T Jayhawk fleet is growing and eventually will replace the MH-65Es that have been upgraded with the [Collins Aerospace] Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS) which got them up to the MH-60T Glass Cockpit standard.
Something in the HC aircraft is the Minotaur mission system architecture. Minotaur incorporates sensors, radar and command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment and enables aircrews to gather and process surveillance information that can be transmitted to other platforms and units during flight. Even live SATCOM feed is possible based upon availability.
IMHO the USCG should join a inter-service JOINT effort to test the improved T901 Turbine Engine so we can finally get more range out of the MH-60, provide more power for that heavy H-60 application, and improve readiness with its 1/3 less parts in that highly improved engine us (U.S.) taxpayers spent so much time and money on developing. Flight test is the last step, and that is being PREVENTED deliberately!
If there is a service that does more with less, earns their pay every day, and should see a boost in its budget share . . . it is the USCG.
The C-27J is a failed program. Missionization was canceled. They will be replaced at Sacramento and Clearwater with HC-130Js.
The T901 is not necessary for the USCG. Our H-60s are wonderfully over powered. The T901 is for “high, hot and heavy”. Think the mountains of Afganistan with a full load of weapons or troops. We never get anywhere near those conditions. The T700 is one of the best engines ever made.