Like most other Coast Guard capital assets in 2002-2012 timeframe, their rotary wing fleet was part of a massive recapitalization effort known as the “Integrated Deepwater System Program.” Planning for the effort dates back to the late 1990s and included new cutters, rescue boats, fixed-wing planes, and helicopters. In 2002, the Coast Guard awarded the Deepwater contract to a joint venture between Lockheed-Martin and Northrop-Grumman. Six months earlier, the 9/11 terrorist attacks occurred, elevating the concern over national security.