The Coast Guard has begun a fleet‑wide Aviation Proficiency Campaign to address a growing challenge: MH‑60T pilot and aircrew proficiency is at risk due to limited aircraft and simulator availability.
This limitation is due to the MH-60T Service Life Extension Program, which requires approximately 19,000-hours of groundwork, maintenance, and service to repair and upgrade each aircraft to meet the future needs of the USCG.
Why the Campaign is Necessary
Currently, the demand for MH‑60T flight hours now exceeds the availability of aircraft, creating training strain at some units.
Key Mitigation Actions
To provide training proficiency while the Service Life Extension Program is ongoing, the Coast Guard is implementing several plans:
Quarterly proficiency deployments of crews to units that have available aircraft.
Temporary consolidation of some units, ensuring mission coverage while providing the usage of airframes.
Targeted personnel reductions to increase flight time for remaining pilots and redistribute personnel to critical billets.
Reordered aircraft reconstitution, prioritizing operational units for the next five MH‑60T deliveries.
A contracted pre‑designation flight course providing 20 hours of basic proficiency for new aviators.
Expanded simulator capacity, including upgrades, additional devices, and exploration of AR/VR training options.
As always, safety and mission readiness are the Coast Guard’s first priorities during the aircraft upgrade. As such, the Coast Guard is taking deliberate, risk-informed action to strengthen aviation crew proficiency and address concerns while continuing to meet mission requirements across the United States.
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