AIRCRAFT OF THE US NAVY
C-2A Greyhound
The Grumman C-2A Greyhound
is a long-range logistical support
aircraft that serves in the carrier
on-board delivery (COD) role.
It rst ew in November 1964,
entered service in 1966 and
continues to transport personnel,
spare parts, mail, and supplies
between shore facilities and
deployed carrier strike groups.
The C-2A also operates as a
naval special warfare asset in
support of US Navy Sea Air Land
(SEAL) Teams.
Grumman initially produced
19 C-2As that were followed
in 1984 by the rst of 39
‘reprocured’ C-2As, which featuredsigni cant airframe and avionics
improvements. The earlier
Greyhounds were phased out of
service in 1987.
A service life extension program
(SLEP) that was completed in 2013
provided structural enhancements
that increased the Greyhound’s
projected life to 15,000 hours
or 36,000 landings. The aircraft
have also been equipped with
new radios, a terrain awareness
warning system (TAWS), tra c
collision avoidance system
(TCAS), and were completely
rewired. A modi cation
program that installed new
eight-blade NP2000 propellerswas completed in 2013 and a
glass cockpit was incorporated
as part of a communication,
navigation, surveillance/air tra c
management (CNS/ATM) upgrade.
The C-2A is capable of delivering
payloads weighing up to 10,000lb
(4,536kg) and has a range in
excess of 1,000nm (1,852km). Its
862cu ft (11.89m3) pressurizedcargo bay can be rapidly
recon gured to accommodate
passengers, litter patients, medical
evacuation, and time-critical
cargo. It is large enough to carry
an aircraft engine.
The eet includes 34 C-2As that
are operated by two eet logistics
support squadrons (composite)
and the E-2/C-2 eet replacement
squadron. Two C-2As are forward-
deployed in Japan and another
supports testing duties with VX-20
at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland.
VRC-30 at NAS North Island,
California, and VRC-40 at NS
Norfolk, Virginia, normally deploy
two-aircraft detachments with
each CVW. While deployed, they
are typically staged ashore at an
air eld near the carrier’s operating
area and make daily ights to and
from the ship.
The C-2A is currently
programmed to remain in
service until 2028, but phase-
out will begin around 2020. The
Greyhound is being replaced by
a variant of the MV-22B tilt-rotor
known as the CMV-22B.Squadron Location Aircraft Command Tail code
VAW-120 (FRS)
‘Greyhawks’Chambers Field,
NS Norfolk, Virginia C-2A CACCLW AD
VRC-30 ‘Providers’ NAS North Island, California C-2A CACCLW RW
VRC-30 Det 5 MCAS Iwakuni, Japan C-2A CACCLW NF
VRC-40 ‘Rawhides’ Chambers Field, NS Norfolk, Virginia C-2A CACCLW
VX-20 ‘Force’ NAS Patuxent River, Maryland C-2A NAWCADC-12C, RC-12M, TC-12B,
UC-12B/F/M Super King Air (Huron)
The Beechcraft King Air 200 has
served the US Navy in several
versions since the rst of 66 UC-12Bs
were acquired in 1974. The service
later added 12 UC-12Fs and 12
UC-12Ms that were based on the
Model 200C con guration.
The Huron eet has now been
reduced signi cantly but ve
di erent versions of the King Air
remain in service with the US Navy
and Marine Corps. The last TC-12Bversions were retired at NAS Corpus
Christi, Texas, on May 12, 2017.
Today, a single UC-12B, six
UC-12Fs and seven UC-12Ms
continue to operate in the utility/
operational support airlift roles
and one RC-12M supports special
projects with the Naval Research
Laboratory. In addition, three former
US Army C-12Cs are operated by the
US Naval Test Pilot School at NAS
Patuxent River, Maryland.Squadron Location Aircraft Command Tail code
USNTPS NAS Patuxent River, Maryland C-12C NAWCADVX-20 ‘Force’ NAS Patuxent River, Maryland UC-12M NAWCADVXS-1 ‘Warlocks’ NAS Patuxent River, Maryland RC-12M NRLAOD NAS Patuxent River, Maryland UC-12B CNASC 7AAviation Detachment Bahrain IAP, Manama, Bahrain UC-12MAOD NS Guantanamo Bay, Cuba UC-12M
AOD NAF Atsugi, Japan UC-12F CFAF
AOD NAF Misawa, Japan UC-12F CFAF
AOD NAF Kadena, Okinawa UC-12F CFAFA C-2A Greyhound of VRC-40
launches from the USS Abraham
Lincoln (CVN 72).
US Navy/MCS3C Je ShermanUS NAVY & MARINE CORPS AIR POWER YEARBOOK 2018
(^68) AIR POWER REVIEW
66-85 US Navy Review C.indd 68 01/06/2018 10:10