The US Coast Guard has awarded Gulfstream Aerospace a $66.6 million contract for the purchase of a new C-37B long range command and control aircraft.
The October 6 contract, which leveraged an existing defense department contract administered by the air force, includes installation of coast guard-specific communications and security equipment.
The coast guard currently operates one C-37B long range command and control aircraft that provides command and control, required-use transport worldwide for coast guard and Department of Homeland Security leadership.
The new C-37B will ensure the service retains a two-aircraft fleet in order to provide this deployed command and control capacity.
In addition to the C-37B, the service also operates a C-37A acquired in 2002 as a replacement for the VC-20B, another Gulfstream aircraft that had been in operation since 1985.
C-37B is based on the Gulfstream G550 model which has been adapted for a wide range of military special missions worldwide, including aeromedical evacuation, airborne early warning, ground surveillance, head-of-state transport and maritime patrol.