U.S. Coast Guard Grounds Fleet of C-27J Aircraft

The entire fleet of 14 medium range surveillance aircraft have 'cracks of varying degrees,' the Coast Guard said.

Wednesday, December 06, 2023 at 04:14 PM ET

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The C-27J Spartan medium range surveillance aircraft CGNR 2711 sits on the tarmac at Air Station Sacramento, California. [Courtesy: U.S. Coast Guard]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Coast Guard has grounded its entire fleet of 14 C-27J Spartan surveillance aircraft.
This action follows a manufacturer's directive to inspect for structural cracks, which were subsequently found in all of the Coast Guard's C-27Js.
The grounding temporarily impacts the aircraft's crucial missions, including disaster response, drug interdiction, and search and rescue operations.
The manufacturer has identified a repair solution that can be implemented on-site, aiming to mitigate long-term operational impact.

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The U.S. Coast Guard has grounded its fleet of C-27J Spartan fixed wing surveillance aircraft following a call by manufacturer Leonardo directing operators to inspect for cracks.

The medium range surveillance aircraft are used to perform disaster response, drug and migrant interdictions, and search and rescue missions.