"The Department of Homeland Security entered into a contract to purchase two US-made Gulfstream G700s for $172 million on Friday, The New York Times reported. Thetaxpayer-fundedplanes will be used by Noem, as well as other high-ranking DHS personnel, said a release put out by the Coast Guard, which is part of DHS. They're replacing decades-old planes that "experienced 30 days of unplanned maintenance, with six missions requiring unplanned cancellation," the release said."
"It did not address the fact that the Coast Guard took delivery of a new Gulfstream G550 in 2022 for use by Department of Homeland Security senior officials for the same purposes of supervising operations and communicating securely. "This is a matter of safety and mission readiness," a spokesperson for the Coast Guard, Sean Plankey, told Business Insider. "It's well known that senior military officials and cabinet members need secure command and control and rapid long range mobility." The purchase, which is more than three times what was originally enumerated in the Coast Guard's budget and occurred during the government shutdown, has drawn criticism from Democrats."
The Department of Homeland Security contracted two US-made Gulfstream G700 jets for $172 million to be used by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other senior DHS personnel. The jets are intended to replace decades-old aircraft that experienced 30 days of unplanned maintenance and several mission cancellations. The Coast Guard characterized the purchase as necessary for secure command, control, and long-range mobility for senior officials. The Coast Guard previously received a Gulfstream G550 in 2022 for similar purposes. The acquisition exceeded the original Coast Guard budget estimate by more than three times and drew criticism and inquiries from Democrats about funding and purpose.
Read at Business Insider
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