The U.S. Coast Guard has brought its first HC-130J Super Hercules to Air Station Sacramento, expanding the station’s ability to patrol maritime approaches, support search and rescue, and coordinate operations over long distances.

Aircraft CGNR-2018 was formally delivered at a ceremony in McClellan Park, California, on Sept. 10. The Coast Guard says it is the 18th missionized Super Hercules in its fleet and the first assigned to the Sacramento air station. A second aircraft for the station is undergoing missionization in Texas, with delivery expected in spring 2027.

A long-range patrol aircraft

The HC-130J combines heavy air transport with long-range maritime patrol. In its Coast Guard configuration, it carries sensors and communications equipment for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. Crews can use the aircraft to locate and classify activity, relay information to response forces, and serve as an airborne command-and-control platform.

The service lists a cruise speed of 320 knots, a range of 4,900 nautical miles and endurance exceeding 20 hours. Those characteristics allow the aircraft to remain on scene over distant waters or reach remote areas where a shorter-range aircraft may not be able to sustain coverage.

More capacity planned

The Sacramento delivery is part of a wider expansion of HC-130J operations. The Coast Guard says fiscal 2025 reconciliation funding will support adding the type at two additional air stations. A third and fourth HC-130J are planned for Sacramento, with deliveries expected to begin in fiscal year 2030.

For the station, the new aircraft adds a platform built for lengthy patrols and the ability to share a common operating picture with crews and agencies on the ground, at sea and in the air. It also reflects the broader role of Coast Guard aviation: maritime surveillance, crisis response and lifesaving missions across a very large area.

Source

Reporting is based on the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area release carried by DVIDS. Photo: Petty Officer 3rd Class Kenneth Wiese/U.S. Coast Guard via DVIDS, public domain. The appearance of U.S. Department of War visual information does not imply or constitute DoW endorsement.