EADS CASA delivered its first HC-144A maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft to the US Coast Guard's Elizabeth City, North Carolina aviation facility.
Aircraft 001 was formally transferred to USCG late last year when it was flown by the Coast Guard from the CASA production facility in Seville to the service's aircraft repair and supply center (AR&SC) in Elizabeth City (pictured below).
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The medium-range HC-144A maritime patrol aircraft (formerly designated CN-235A) is a derivative of the CN-235 transport family, and is the first all-new aircraft developed for the USCG's Integrated Deepwater System modernisation program. EADS CASA is supplying the aircraft under contract to the Integrated Coast Guard Systems (ICGS) a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, with three HC-144As currently under contract and a requirment for 36 aircraft until the year 2017.
The HC-144A is scheduled to enter service later this year, when it will be deployed for search and rescue missions, border protection, environmental missions and ice shelf monitoring. The first USCG pilots completed training with EADS CASA in Spain during December, and then flew the aircraft to Elizabeth City.
“The HC-144A’s delivery is further proof of EADS North America’s continuing strong support for the US
Coast Guard and its mission to keep America safe and secure,” said Ralph Crosby, chairman and chief executive of EADS
North America.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
