Equipment of the United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard uses cutters and small boats on the water , and fixed - and rotary wing ( helicopter s ) aircraft in the air . The Coast Guard employs various small arms including handguns , shotguns , rifles , and machine guns . Cutters . Originally , the Coast Guard used the term " cutter " in its traditional sense , as a type of small sailing ship . Today it officially uses the term for any vessel which has a permanently assigned crew and accommodations for the extended support of that crew , and includes only and all vessels of or more in length . Larger cutters ( over 180 feet ( 55 m ) in length ) are controlled by Area Commands ( Atlantic Area or Pacific Area ) . Smaller cutters come under control of District Commands . Cutters usually carry a motor surf boat and / or a rigid - hulled inflatable boat . " Polar " - class icebreaker s ( WAGB ) carry an Arctic Survey Boat ( ASB ) and Landing Craft . The Coast Guard formerly leased three 179 - foot Cyclone - class coastal patrol ships from the U . S . Navy . All are homeported in Pascagoula , Mississippi . These vessels were used primarily for counterdrug patrols . All have now been returned to the Navy . Any Coast Guard crew with officers or petty officers assigned has law - enforcement authority ( 14 USC Sec . 89 ) and can conduct armed boardings . Aircraft . The Coast Guard operates about 210 aircraft . Fixed - wing aircraft ( such as Lockheed HC - 130 Hercules turboprops and Dassault HU - 25A Guardian jets ) operate from Air Stations on long - duration missions . Helicopters ( Aérospatiale HH - 65 Dolphin , Sikorsky HH - 60J Jayhawk , and Agusta MH - 68 Stingray ) operate from Air Stations , Air Facilities , and flight - deck equipped cutters , and can rescue people or intercept smuggling vessels . Some special MH - designated helicopters are armed with guns and some are equipped with armor to protect against small arms fire . The Coast Guard flies several aircraft types : The Coast Guard is planning to purchase 36 CASA CN - 235 from Spanish aircraft manufacturer Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA ( CASA ) for medium range search . As of 26 February 2008 , 3 aircraft have been delivered for testing and integration with a further 5 planned . During testing , one aircraft was pulled into active duty for the search downed Air Force pilots , in which the aircraft demonstrated its capabilities . The Coast Guard was to purchase the Bell Eagle Eye UAV as part of the Deepwater program , but this has been cancelled . In addition to regular Coast Guard aircraft , privately owned general aviation aircraft are used by Coast Guard Auxiliarists for patrols and search - and - rescue missions . Boats . The Coast Guard operates about 1 , 400 boats , defined as any vessel less than 65 feet ( 20 meters ) in length , which generally operate near shore and on inland waterways . The most common is 41 feet ( 12 . 5 m ) long , of which the Guard has more than 200 ; the shortest is 12 feet ( 4 m ) . The Coast Guard boat fleet includes : 64 ' Screening Vessel ( SPC - SV ) , 38 ' Training Boat ( SPC - TB ) , 39 ' Tactical Training Boat ( SPC - TTR ) Small arms . From 1986 until 2006 , Coast Guardsmen on patrol were armed with Beretta M9 9 mm pistols . The Coast Guard has since transitioned to the . 40 S & W caliber SIG - Sauer P229R DAK as the standard personal defense weapon , completing the changeover as of April 2006 . However some USCG units attached to other Military services in Operations still use Beretta M - 9s . Other small arms in service include the M16A2 rifle , the M4 Carbine and the Remington 870 police magnum riot shotgun , from which the Coast Guard employs both lethal and non - lethal rounds . The M14 Tactical rifle , ( a variant of the M14 service rifle fitted with the same stock used on the Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle ) , and a variant of the . 50 - caliber M107 precision rifle are used for Airborne Use of Force ( AUF ) missions . Specialized units within the Deployable Operations Group also employ the Mk 18 carbine and the Mk 11 7 . 62mm precision rifle . The Coast Guard ' s standard general purpose machine gun is the FN M240 machine gun which has replaced the M60 . The M240B variant of this weapon is employed aboard surface vessels while the M240H is used aboard the MH - 60 Jayhawk and MH - 65 Dolphin helicopters . Many Coast Guard units are also equipped with the . 50 caliber M2 machine gun . Weapons above . 50 caliber are considered " weapons systems " , rather than " small arms " . Specific units such as Port Security Unit s use the M203 grenade launcher . Communications . Coast Guard radio stations cover a wide geographical area using very high frequency , high frequency , and medium frequency radios . There are eight major radio stations covering long - range transmissions and an extensive network of VHF radio stations along the nation ' s coastline and inland rivers . The current communication system is being replaced by Rescue 21 . Rescue 21 is an advanced maritime command , control , and communications ( C3 ) system . The OMEGA navigation system and the LORAN - C transmitters outside the USA were run until 1994 also by the United States Coast Guard , and LORAN - C transmitters within the US were decommissioned on June 1 , 2010 , with the exception of 5 CONUS LORAN - C stations that continue to be manned due to international agreements .