Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has started making official trips using a new Gulfstream 700 (G700) VIP jet. The U.S. Coast Guard signed a contract to acquire two of these aircraft, the first known members of the G700 family to be operated by an arm of the U.S. federal government, last year. Pictures of one of the planes, wearing a livery nearly identical to one President Trump had previously picked for the future VC-25B Air Force One aircraft, emerged last month, as TWZ was first to report on.
Secretary Noem traveled to Phoenix, Arizona, yesterday on board the G700. She is scheduled to take a tour of the state’s border with Mexico today.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is in Arizona for a border wall event
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also released pictures recently showing Secretary Noem using the jet in relation to a trip earlier this week to Tupelo, Mississippi. Noem attended a roundtable there with first responders who had been part of the response to Winter Storm Fern.
TWZ has reached out to DHS and the Coast Guard for more information about the use of the new Gulfstream 700 aircraft. The Coast Guard currently falls under the purview of DHS.
It is clear that the G700 acquisition has been proceeding on a very fast schedule. DHS and the Coast Guard only confirmed that the two jets, referred to officially as Long Range Command and Control Aircraft (LRCCA), had been ordered last October. A Coast Guard contracting document released at that time said the goal was to have the jets in hand no later than December 31, 2025. It is unclear whether that particular deadline was met, but at least one of the jets is now in service. As TWZ has noted previously, it is also not clear what tradeoffs may have been required to keep to the aggressive delivery timeline.
The total cost of acquiring both G700s has previously been reported to be between $170 and $200 million. The price tag on a base model G700, before any alterations, painting, and other work is done, generally runs around $70 to $80 million.
The Coast Guard already operates two LRCCAs, a C-37A and a C-37B, which are based on older and out-of-production Gulfstream V and G550 models, respectively. The U.S. military and other U.S. government agencies operate a variety of other Gulfstream models, as well, but none of them currently fly newer 700-series types.
The existing LRCCAs are regularly used as VIP transports for the Secretary of Homeland Security, as well as other senior DHS and Coast Guard officials. In addition, the jets have a role in U.S. continuity of government plans, which are in place to ensure American authorities can continue to function in the event of any number of serious contingency scenarios, including major hostile attacks and devastating natural disasters.
As such, the LRCCAs are equipped with an extensive secure command and control communications suite. Previously released Coast Guard contracting documents specifically highlighted plans to integrate Starshield into the new G700s. SpaceX offers Starshield as a more secure government-focused cousin to its commercial Starlink space-based internet service. SpaceX has established a dominant position in the global satellite internet and communication marketspace, and Starshield and Starlink continue to see growing use across the U.S. government, including the U.S. military, where they have been used in support of tactical operations.
“The G700 provides a combination of increased range, speed, seating capacity, and enhanced avionics in comparison to a used G550,” the Coast Guard also noted in justification for the sole-source contract to Gulfstream for the jets. “While a G550 is capable, it is no longer in production and USCG is at the mercy of the re-sell [sic] market to grow the LRCCA fleet in the required time.”
Other details about the configuration of the new Coast Guard G700s are limited. The new livery is certainly eye-catching. The same scheme has also appeared recently on a 737 Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) with a luxurious VVIP interior and clear ties to DHS. That aircraft, which carries the U.S. civil registration number N471US, emerged unexpectedly in December 2025, as you can read more about here.
At the time of writing, DHS still does not appear to officially commented on its acquisition or use. This is despite the jet having been tracked flying in the Middle East along routes that matched up with those of the Coast Guard’s C-37B LRCCA. Both aircraft notably visited Jordan’s capital, Amman, at a time when Secretary Noem was said to have made an official visit there.
The paint scheme worn by the new G700 aircraft and N471US is also very similar to the one President Donald Trump had picked for the forthcoming pair of Boeing 747-8i-based VC-25B Air Force One aircraft during his first term. President Joe Biden subsequently reinstated plans to stick with the same iconic, Kennedy-era livery worn by the current VC-25A Air Force One aircraft that the VC-25Bs are set to replace. Last year, Inside Defense reported that the U.S. Air Force was “implementing a new livery requirement for VC-25B,” but no further details have emerged since then.
The G700 acquisition, and the expected use of those aircraft by Secretary Noem, more specifically, were focal points for criticism from some members of Congress last year. Legislators had questioned whether this was an appropriate allocation of funding. The decision to order the jets during a protracted government shutdown also drew the ire of lawmakers. DHS has seen a huge boost in its total budget in the past year, linked largely to immigration enforcement and border security activities.
Even before the G700 contract was finalized, DHS and the Coast Guard had been pushing back against this criticism. They have consistently argued that it is of critical importance to acquire newer LRCCAs as the aging C-37A and C-37B jets have become increasingly difficult to operate and maintain, especially in light of the continuity of government mission.
TWZ has previously highlighted a larger trend in the expansion of executive aircraft operations during President Donald Trump’s second term. This has been especially pronounced in the acquisition of additional Boeing 747s in relation to the VC-25B program, including second-hand examples from German flag carrier Lufthansa to provide training support and as sources of spare parts. Work is also ongoing to repurpose a highly-modified ex-Qatari VVIP 747-8i, ostensibly gifted to the U.S. government, as what is now being called a VC-25 bridge aircraft ahead of the much-delayed VC-25Bs entering service. TWZ has raised significant questions about the feasibility of that plan in the past.
Regardless, at least one of the new G700s is now flying operational missions, including with the Secretary of Homeland Security aboard
Contact the author: joe@twz.com