Air Force, Coast Guard talk C-27J deal - Navy News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Navy Times
Air Force, Coast Guard talk C-27J deal
By Marcus Weisgerber - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Mar 11, 2012 10:14:18 EDT
Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Robert Papp told lawmakers last week that he has talked with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz about the feasibility of transferring C-27Js to the sea service. The Coast Guard is conducting a business case analysis of transferring the cargo haulers.
The Coast Guard flies C-130Js and EADS-produced CN-235s, which it calls the HC-144. The Coast Guard opted for the HC-144 over the C-27J because of lower life-cycle costs, Papp said at a House Appropriations homeland security subcommittee hearing. Still, hes not ruling out a mixed fleet of HC-144s and C-27Js.
[S]ometimes things fall in your laps and if we can get
basically free from the Air Force, we might be able to come up with the plan that would allow us a mix of the [CN-235s], a mix of the C-27s, and, oh by the way, that might put some extra money in our budget that we could devote to some of these other projects, Papp said March 6.
Papp noted that the C-27J and C-130J use the same engines, which would help cut the logistical costs of operating two aircraft.