The top officer in the US Coast Guard (USCG) has been dismissed, reportedly due in part to concerns about that service’s plan to recapitalise its rotary-wing aviation fleet.
Four-star Admiral Linda Fagan was relieved as commandant of the USCG on 21 January in a personnel bulletin published by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The sacking was carried out by acting secretary of homeland security Benjamine Huffman, a career Border Patrol officer who is filing the top job at the domestic law enforcement agency while the choice of newly-sworn in President Donald Trump undergoes vetting and confirmation by senators.
Although considered a uniformed service, the Coast Guard also carries out law enforcement missions and is overseen by the DHS during peacetime. Fagan, who was the first woman to serve as the head of a US military service, was dismissed just hours after Trump reoccupied the White House.
While the notice published by Huffman does not provide a cause for the firing, an anonymous DHS official says cost overruns in the Coast Guard’s helicopter procurement effort played a part. The development was first reported by Fox News.
Citing the nameless individual, Fox reports “persistent delays and cost overruns in acquiring essential platforms”, including helicopters and icebreaker ships had undermined USCG capabilities in the Arctic and elsewhere. A lack of accountability for the “acquisition failures” was also noted.
Other drivers of Fagan’s removal as reported by Politico include an “excessive focus” on institutional diversity programmes, unaddressed issues with sexual harassment within the Coast Guard and Trump’s well-known concerns about immigration enforcement.
Although no specifics were offered with respect to the service’s helicopter fleet, the issues are well documented.
In August, the Coast Guard cut the service life of its Sikorsky MH-60T Jayhawk medium-range recovery helicopters from 20,000h to 19,000h. This saw the immediate retirement of six aircraft from the fleet of 48, which was already struggling with high demand.
Although the USCG is fielding refurbished MH-60Ts acquired from the US Navy and putting its original 35-year old Jayhawks through a service life-extension programme that includes new Sikorsky-made hulls, the service still faces significant aviation challenges – and has been criticised over its plans.
Under a $57.9 billion aviation modernisation initiative, the Coast Guard plans to eliminate its fleet of short-range Airbus Helicopters MH-65D/E Dolphin search and rescue helicopters, 98 of which are currently in service.
Instead, the USCG will transition to an all-MH-60T fleet, expanding its Sikorsky inventory to reach a total inventory of 127 rotorcraft of the single type. That plan received unabashed criticism from government auditors, who noted in a 2024 review that it would result in 13% fewer aircraft for the already stretched fleet.
“The Coast Guard has not assessed whether the MH-60T helicopter best meets its mission needs under its plans to consolidate its fleet,” the US Government Accountability said.
The review further noted that the USCG did not assess any alternative fleet options that could be used to support the consolidation decision.
Although limited by a shorter range than the Jayhawk, the MH-65 boasts several advantages including a sprawling 30,000h lifespan and the ability to operate from the Coast Guard cutter ships at sea. This capability has proven invaluable to supporting far offshore missions, such as drug interdiction.
A 2020 study by the US-based think tank Rand Corporation found a mixed Coast Guard fleet primarily based on the MH-60T, but supplemented by a short-range option, would be of most benefit to the service’s diverse operational responsibilities.
In December, the Coast Guard indicated it was considering changes to the MH-65 phase out plan, although no formal alternative course of action has yet been revealed.
“We are developing a comprehensive strategy for the future of Coast Guard aviation that will outline aircraft transitions across our rotary and fixed-wing fleets,” the service said.
