The U.S. Coast Guard announced that it executed a planned recapitalization of its long-range command and control aircraft Oct. 17. Long-range command and control aircraft are used for official travel by top Homeland Security and Coast Guard officials as required by Department of Homeland Security and Office of Management and Budget policy.
Although the service’s own statement did not offer many specific details of the recapitalization, the New York Times and others reported the Coast Guard now has a new contract for two Gulfstream G700 jets valued at around $172 million. The reports note that U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem frequently uses Coast Guard command aircraft and would likely utilize these new jets.
The service has been replacing some of its aging command and control aircraft in recent years, including purchasing new C-37B jets, based on the Gulfstream G550 and equipped with secure communications for command and control. The Coast Guard began receiving those updated aircraft in 2022.
Yesterday, @USCG initiated recapitalization of its Long Range Command and Control Aircraft –a national security asset designed to keep command, control and communication intact when the stakes are highest.
— U.S. Coast Guard (@USCG) October 19, 2025
Modernizing our aging, obsolete aviation fleet is essential to ensuring…
“The timing of this investment underscores the Coast Guard’s vital need to modernize its command and control capabilities to meet today’s rapidly evolving operational demands,” said Acting Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday in a Coast Guard statement.
The service said the new aircraft replace models up to 20 years old that had experienced increasing maintenance issues. Since January 2025, the service reported 30 days of unplanned maintenance and six canceled missions. Such aircraft have been part of the Coast Guard’s fleet for more than 65 years in support of command and control missions, along with other leadership transport tasks.
“Modernizing the Coast Guard’s aging and obsolete aviation fleet is essential to ensuring our ability to successfully conduct national security missions,” Lunday said.
The aircraft include secure communications systems designed to support coordination of multi-agency operations across the Coast Guard’s areas of responsibility.
Sean Plankey, senior advisor to the secretary for the Coast Guard, expressed frustration in the Coast Guard’s own press release with the timeline involved in getting to this recapitalization.
“It’s incredibly disappointing that politicians and the media are playing politics with the funding of the Coast Guard,” Plankey said. “This is a matter of safety and mission readiness. It’s well known that senior military officials and cabinet members need secure command and control and rapid long-range mobility. Flippant comments are great for clicks and fundraising emails, but don’t reflect the reality of protecting the American people 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year.”
According to the Coast Guard, the acquisition aligns with federal guidance on executive travel and supports the service’s ongoing aviation modernization efforts.
How old are our B52s?