ed ▁near ▁Puerto ▁Rico ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁the ▁program ▁was ▁reduced ▁to ▁provide ▁only ▁two ▁R U - 3 8 As ▁to ▁the ▁US CG . ▁The ▁loss ▁of ▁the ▁R G - 8 A ▁delayed ▁the ▁program ▁for ▁many ▁months ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁completed ▁until ▁May ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁R U - 3 8 ▁was ▁tested ▁by ▁the ▁Air ▁Force ▁ 4 4 5 th ▁Fl ight ▁Test ▁Squadron ▁at ▁Edwards ▁A FB ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁the ▁Coast ▁Guard , ▁starting ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁The ▁air plane ▁fle w ▁some ▁ 1 0 0 ▁test ▁fl ights ▁during ▁the ▁four - month ▁program . ▁ ▁By ▁September ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁the ▁two ▁converted ▁R U - 3 8 As ▁had ▁been ▁delivered ▁to ▁the ▁Coast ▁Guard ▁in ▁Miami , ▁Florida ▁for ▁oper ational ▁employ ment . ▁The ▁R U - 3 8 As ▁were ▁flow n ▁in ▁drug ▁inter diction ▁miss ions ▁over ▁the ▁G ulf ▁of ▁Mexico ▁and ▁the ▁Car ib bean ▁Sea , ▁but ▁they ▁were ▁reported ly ▁ground ed ▁during ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁due ▁to ▁problems ▁with ▁the ▁aircraft ▁meeting ▁mission ▁requirements ▁or ▁service ability . ▁ ▁R U - 3 8 B ▁The ▁company ▁further ▁improved ▁the ▁aircraft ▁by ▁replacing ▁the ▁two ▁p ist on ▁engines ▁with ▁two ▁Roll s ▁Roy ce ▁All ison ▁ 2 5 0 - B 1 7