One of the big hangars (No. 2) at the USCG Aviation Training Center in Mobile recently accidentally discharged its AFFF FSS (foam-o-matic) and filled the building with 400 gallons of suds. It sidelined three EADS HC-144 Ocean Sentry maritime patrol aircraft (of which the Coaties only have 18), and four Sikorsky MH-60T Jayhawks (of which the service has only 48).
The incident got a lot of attention.
Following up, the USCG sent out a memo on Friday announcing a sundown of the systems, for better or worse, in line with a November 2021 plan by the Air Force and an August 2024 plan by the Navy.
As noted in the memo, the systems are more trouble than they are worth:
In 2021, the Air Force led a joint DoD effort including the Defense Logistics Agency to assess the risks associated with replacing Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) fire suppression systems (FSS) in DoD facilities. The effort reviewed 32 years of historical data and found no hangar fuel-related fires resulting in the loss of life or an aircraft. A review of 15 years of safety mishap data uncovered 84 inadvertent activations of foam systems resulting in $24.5 million of damage, one death, 21 injuries, and 120 damaged aircraft.
Citing the 2021 Air Force Study, COMDT (CG-43) signed a charter in June 2024 establishing the Aviation Hangar Fire Suppression Integrated Project Team (IPT), REF (A). The IPT reviewed 35 years of Coast Guard mishap data and found no documented Class Bravo fires in any hangar and 26 accidental discharges, including three in the last 12 months. In reference to those three incidents, preliminary reports include damage to 12 aircraft with final damage estimates still to be determined.