Buzzards Bay, Mass – Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod is scheduled to dedicate a new hanger for the new HC-144A Ocean Sentry medium range surviellance aircraft Tuesday in honor of a former Coast Guard pilot.
The new hangar will be named after Cmdr. Stewart R. Graham, a retired Coast Guard pilot, who flew sea and amphibious planes in the anti-submarine mission of World War II. Graham is credited with many helicopter firsts including the first night medical evacuation and first night hoist. He was inducted into the Naval Aviation Hall of Fame, the Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Hall of Fame and is pending induction into the Navy Museum.
The HC-144A Ocean Sentry Medium Range Surveillance aircraft is becoming the Coast Guard’s primary maritime patrol aircraft. The HC-144A cockpit provides superior situational awareness, allowing crews to better concentrate on their missions.
The HC-144A is replacing the aging fleet of HU-25 Guardian jets. With an endurance of more than 10 hours, as well as extensive sensor capability and passenger capacity, the HC-144A enables the Coast Guard to fulfill its maritime patrol, drug and migrant interdiction, disaster response, and search and rescue missions more effectively. Greater endurance allows the aircrew to remain on-scene longer, support other assets and track targets for longer periods of time.
