U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater is the largest and busiest air station in the Coast Guard. Its area of operation includes the Tampa Bay area as well as the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean basin and the Bahamas. The station constantly deploys C-130 aircraft and H-60 helicopters. The station is located on the northwest corner of the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport. The station became the largest in the country in 1987 in part because of the "War on Drugs." It expanded the air fleet and boosted personnel on site to nearly 500.