C-2A Greyhounds make final Carrier On-Board Delivery flights

The US Navy is retiring its last C-2A Greyhound squadron. The type's final carrier landing is shown here. (Janes / Michael Fabey)

Two C-2A Greyhound logistics aircraft made the final anticipated carrier on-board delivery (COD) flights on 25 June with landing and catapult takeoff operations aboard aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) in the Atlantic Ocean.

Janes observed two Greyhounds land aboard Nimitz in the morning after the aircraft finished a flight from Norfolk, Virginia. One of the C-2As carried aboard Vice Admiral Doug Perry, commander of both the Joint Force Command Norfolk and the US 2nd Fleet, who joined Nimitz as the ship travelled north from Mayport, Florida, toward New York City.

Adm Perry and several reporters, including Janes , boarded the Greyhounds as the C-2s were catapulted off Nimitz at about 1800 local time, marking the aircraft's final expected COD takeoff.

Greyhounds are being replaced for COD operations by the CMV-22B Osprey tiltrotor variant of the Bell-Boeing MV-22B.

Powered by twin Allison T56-A-425 turboprop engines and Hamilton-Sundstrand constant speed propellers, the Greyhound is a derivative of the E-2 Hawkeye. The interior arrangement of the cabin can accommodate priority cargo like jet engines, passengers, litter patients, and critical spare parts, US Navy (USN) officials have noted.

A cargo cage system provides restraint for loads during ship launches and landings. Straight-in rear cargo loading and unloading is designed for quick turnaround on the ground or carrier flight-deck. The cargo ramp can be opened in flight, enabling airdrops of supplies and personnel. An onboard auxiliary power unit (APU) provides aircraft self-sufficiency at remote airfields.