L-3 awarded USCG Minotaur option

L-3 Communications Integrated Systems will carry out work to missionise the US Coast Guard’s 11th HC-130J Super Hercules aircraft under a $14.6 million option announced in December.

The aircraft will be equipped with Minotaur mission system software and integrated radar, sensor and communications systems. This Minotaur package has been designed to meet the coast guard’s requirements for the HC-130J Super Hercules long range surveillance aircraft.

The Minotaur mission system is replacing the legacy system currently in use on six of the coast guard’s HC-130J aircraft. The seventh of fleet has been retrofitted with the Minotaur mission system to become the Minotaur prototype and is currently undergoing continued testing. Another aircraft entered the Minotaur integration process in December 2016.

The first aircraft to receive Minotaur as its baseline configuration was CGNR 2009 in April 2016. This aircraft will be used to validate changes made to the Minotaur prototype. 

The 10th aircraft is currently in production and scheduled for delivery in its baseline configuration in early 2017, after which it will undergo Minotaur missionization.

The 11th aircraft – the subject of this latest option – is currently in production. It is scheduled for delivery in its baseline configuration in early 2017, after which it will also undergo Minotaur missionization.

The 12th and 13th aircraft are under contract and are scheduled for delivery in their baseline configuration in 2019.

Related Equipment in Defence Insight

HC-130H/J