The future of Coast Guard rotary-wing aircraft operations will be defined by their history.
The U.S. Coast Guard has been at the forefront of helicopter development since then-Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Ernest J. King issued a 19 February 1943 directive, placing development of the aircraft with the service. In the wake of World War II, the Coast Guard maintained a fleet of rotary-wing aircraft that supported its missions and provided the nation with a maritime aviation search-and-rescue (SAR) component second to none in the world.
