Internationale ontwikkelingen Special Forces

[Harald]

Night Stalker MH-60 Executes Sneak Mock Assault On Navy Ship In Awesome Video

The high-performance flying seen in the video shows how Night Stalkers can be on top of a ship and landing operators in seconds.

VIDEO :
https://twitter.com/i/status/1721883772424253496

Pilots of the U.S. Army's elite 160th Special Operation Aviation Regiment (SOAR), also known as the 'Night Stalkers,' are well known for their flying expertise in challenging circumstances. Now, video has emerged showcasing how their skills, as well as their MH-60M Black Hawks, can be leveraged to sneak up on ships in order to conduct rapid insertion of special operators onto their decks.

The footage in question was captured via a hand-held device from the vantage point of an observer aboard the San Antonio class amphibious transport dock USS New York. Details on where and when the video was captured remain unclear. As The War Zone has noted in the past, the 160th SOAR has a well established history of conducting maritime training exercises, and operations, with U.S. Navy assets and units.

Flying very low and fast above the water, we see one of the 160th's Black Hawks passing New York's starboard side in the footage before executing a remarkable pop-up braking maneuver before coming to a rock steady hover over the moving warship's bow. The black helicopter hovers there, simulating the insertion of troops via fast rope and/or raking the bridge with machine gun fire, before flying off.


In order to get an expert take on what we are seeing, we reached out to Chris "Ox" Harmer, a TWZ contributor and Sea Hawk pilot with thousands of hours in the type, including experience with real-world operations just like this.

"This looks like a great day for some shipboard familiarization flying," he said. "You can tell by the lack of whitecaps on the water that there is very little wind, no more than eight knots at most, probably less."

"The aircraft is flying pretty low - clearly no more than 50' AGL (above ground level) - that helps minimize detection."

"As the MH-60 approaches from stern to bow, flying on the starboard side, the pilot needs to bleed off excess airspeed to get into a hover. You can tell this pilot is an experienced stick - three maneuvers blend seamlessly into one."

"First, forward speed is reduced by pitching the nose up while simultaneously dropping power; this bleeds the kinetic energy off the airframe. It's a modified version of what we commonly refer to as a 'quick stop.' The nose up quick stop maneuver is used just to bleed off airspeed. It's the most efficient, quick way to do it. You can tell by the gradual, progressive nose up maneuver that the pilot timed the control inputs correctly. As airspeed bleeds off, the pilot then tilts left wing down, with a bit of left rudder pressure to turn the Blackhawk 90 degrees to the left."

"Having bled off airspeed to match the forward movement of the ship, the helicopter then goes a bit nose down to move into the correct hovering position over the centerline of the ship, followed by an immediate nose up maneuver to stop relative motion."

"The final maneuver, which is very difficult to see, is a slight right wing down input to match the ships movement through the water. The pilot makes it looks smooth, easy, controlled, and professional. Well done!"

Of course, performing highly-skilled flying maneuvers, often at speed and at night/amid adverse weather conditions and at night, remains very much the bread and butter of 160th SOAR pilots.

The regiment is well known for its frequent and elaborate training exercises, often involving fast-rope insertions from hovering helicopter. 160th SOAR regularly conducts so-called realistic urban training (RUT), for example, in order to best simulate the dense urban sprawl they would encounter should they be deployed to densely populated areas. As The War Zone has noted in the past, realistic urban training is critical for 160th aircrews and the special operators they cart around to sharpen their skills; simulating future battles in 'megacities.'

However, being able to insert rapidly and extract quickly in other environments, such as at sea, is also a part of the unit's remit. Doing so sneakily — providing target vessels with as little warning time as possible that an infiltration and/or extraction may be imminent, brings distinct advantages. This would be useful for a huge range of scenarios, from counter-piracy operations to maritime hostage rescue situations to interdiction of illicit cargo, where lives depend on how covertly and speedily maneuvers are conducted. It should be noted that a 160th SOAR MH-60M recently seen sporting blue camouflage could well be designed to provide greater cover during sensitive maritime operations like these. It also serves as a reflection on a growing importance on maritime operations, and the focus on training for them, as the possibility of a war in the Pacific looms larger.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/night-stalker-mh-60-executes-sneak-mock-assault-on-navy-ship-in-awesome-video

[Harald]

Ook de Carrier Seal van JDF is best interessant, ook voor de NL MARSOF

https://www.jfd-spec-ops.com/carrierseal

[Harald]

https://euro-sd.com/2023/10/articles/34039/by-stealth-to-the-shore/

By stealth to the shore

With the coastal subsurface domain remaining an area that Western special forces can exploit, a number of companies are providing platforms to facilitate such operations. Peter Felstead looks at recent developments in this sphere.

While the close-in surveillance of hostile shores can increasingly be achieved by unmanned platforms, when it comes to covertly putting personnel ashore for special operations, the subsurface domain remains an area that can be exploited by novel technology. While sustaining personnel under the water's surface clearly has its challenges, the lack of any visual or noise signature being discernible from the shore – at least until special forces operators have actually landed – provides obvious advantages.

Reflecting this, a number of developments in swimmer delivery vehicles (SDVs) have breached the surface in recent years, which seek to deliver a tactical edge to Western maritime special forces.

.../...

( voor het gehele artikel zie bovenstaande link )

DSEI 2023: JFD Displays 'Productionised' Shadow Seal SDV  (doorontwikkeling van het Nederlandse Ortega Submersibles )

UK underwater systems specialist JDF presented a 'productionised' version of its Shadow Seal swimmer delivery vehicle (SDV) at the DSEI 2023 defence exhibition, held in London from 12-15 September.

The latest Shadow Seal features a number of upgrades, the most notable of which is a bank of eight 10 kW batteries for a total power output of 80 kW compared to the 16 kW power of its predecessor. This gives it a surface range of 80 n miles at 4.5 kts or a subsurface range of 25 n miles at 3.5 kts.



Another enhancement featuring on the 'productionised' Shadow Seal is the incorporation of 360° controllable rear thrusters, negating the need for bow thrusters on the older version. Using these the vessel can be bottomed out on the seabed, with Alistair Wilson, strategy and sales director for JFD, telling ESD that the Shadow Seal can sit in conditions of Sea State 5 without being tumbled. The latest Shadow Seal also has an improved navigation system.

The Shadow Seal, which JFD terms a tactical diving vehicle (TDV), is a four-person vessel that entered the JFD portfolio through its acquisition of Dutch company Ortega Submersibles in August 2019. The vessel, which is 8 m long and 1.88 m wide, carries up to two personnel in each of two compartments and can be piloted from either of these stations. It can thus deliver three operators or alternatively be bottomed out and shut down in shallow water to allow four divers to be deployed.

The vessel is 2.18 high, or 4.12 m when its mast is fully extended, and weighs 2.5 tonnes.

Wilson told ESD that, following its appearance at DSEI, the Shadow Seal would very soon begin water trials in the Clyde out of the company's facility at Inchinnan near Glasgow.

https://euro-sd.com/2023/09/news/33920/dsei-2023-jfd-displays-productionised-shadow-seal-sdv/

https://www.jfd-spec-ops.com/shadowseal

[Harald]

https://euro-sd.com/2023/10/articles/34039/by-stealth-to-the-shore/

By stealth to the shore

With the coastal subsurface domain remaining an area that Western special forces can exploit, a number of companies are providing platforms to facilitate such operations. Peter Felstead looks at recent developments in this sphere.

While the close-in surveillance of hostile shores can increasingly be achieved by unmanned platforms, when it comes to covertly putting personnel ashore for special operations, the subsurface domain remains an area that can be exploited by novel technology. While sustaining personnel under the water's surface clearly has its challenges, the lack of any visual or noise signature being discernible from the shore – at least until special forces operators have actually landed – provides obvious advantages.

Reflecting this, a number of developments in swimmer delivery vehicles (SDVs) have breached the surface in recent years, which seek to deliver a tactical edge to Western maritime special forces.

.../...

( voor het gehele artikel zie bovenstaande link )

[Lynxian]

Dat is een verbazingwekkend effectief stukje camouflage!

[Harald]

(maar even hier in dit topic geplaatst)

urban ghillie suit  (waaauuuw  )

https://twitter.com/MyLordBebo/status/1699928550969590084?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1699928550969590084%7Ctwgr%5E034596945d585c11f7c2bdf8419b61beb31045af%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.snafu-solomon.com%2F

[Harald]

AFSOC receives final AC-130J

Air Force Special Operations Command received its 31st and final AC-130J Ghostrider, completing the command?s transition from the legacy AC-130W, AC-130U and AC-130H fleets.

Following a commemoration ceremony at the Lockheed Martin Gunship Modification Facility in Crestview Nov. 2, the final AC-130J was delivered to the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico.



During the AC-130J Ghostrider dedication and delivery ceremony, Lt. Col. Joe Allen, Gunship Program manager and narrator for the event, briefly discussed the history of nose art and how it became a common way of depicting the name of an airplane. He also explained how pilots would stencil names or call signs on their aircraft, providing a sense of connection and further a feeling of pride for themselves and the crew that kept the airplane flying.

?Aircraft #31 is no different [than previous World War II aircraft] and is being named in honor of Mr. Stan ?Sluggo? Siefke who was instrumental in the developments of the precision strike package prior to cutting first metal on the MC-130W,? said Allen. ?Sluggo?s impacts on Whiskey and Ghostrider have been nothing short of outstanding and we are honored to have him in attendance today.?

Lt. Gen. Jim Slife, AFSOC commander, represented the command at the ceremony and spoke about his experience with acquiring and receiving the AC-130J.
Slife recalled that it had been only a few years back when then Col. Slife, working at the Pentagon for the Office of Secretary of Defense, began the messaging and formative language that initiated the program that he?s seeing come full circle.

?In the fall of 2009, the secretary of defense decided to recapitalize [the AC-130] with C-130Js to build the platforms we see behind us today,? Slife said.

He also spoke about seeing the first J model go into combat in the summer of 2019 while serving as the AFSOC commander.

?The airplane and its predecessors have exceeded all our expectations and kept more Americans alive than any other airplane on the battlefield,? Slife said.

?The future is going to be different than what we have experienced for the last 20 years, but one thing I?m certain of is this airplane will be relevant to whatever the future operating environment brings, so thank you all for delivering such a magnificent capability to today?s warfighters,? he said.

Capt. Katie Tiedemann, 73rd Special Operations Squadron weapons systems officer, shared operational vignettes of the AC-130J during the event. She specifically shared her own experience deployed in Afghanistan when she supported Operation Allies Refuge.

?Over two weeks, my own crew, and two others, continued to employ our aircraft for countless hours, reopening the [Kabul] airport and evacuating 123,000 refugees,? Tiedemann said. ?Much of the rest of the story you have seen and heard, but our two crews who flew during the evacuation will be recognized this fall with the MacKay trophy for accomplishing the most meritorious flight of the year.?

Following Capt. Tiedemann?s presentation, William Innes, deputy director for acquisition, United States Special Operations Command, spoke about USSOCOM?s part in navigating the acquisitions process to get the weapons systems from industry to the warfighter.

?When we can see firsthand that it [the acquisition process] works, it delivers the best weapons system the nation can get, it is truly inspirational,? he said.

Vic Torla, Lockheed Martin vice president of Special Operations Forces Global Logistics Support Services, expressed his gratitude for the partnership between Lockheed Martin and the Air Force.

?A great example of a government and industry partnership to stand up this facility,? Torla said. ?A ten-year journey to deliver what is now 30 combat capable aircraft to Special Operations Command.?

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Slife, along with the aircrew, stepped onto the new AC-130J and took off for Cannon AFB, where the final AC-130J will become part of the 27th Special Operations Wing.



He concluded with his gratitude for all who contributed to making the AC-130J the success it is today.

?For the whole team today, for the team that maintained the airplane, that built the airplane, that acquired the airplane, that fly the airplane, that tested the airplane, thank you for what you?ve done.?

The AC-130J is a transport aircraft modified for special forces operations and has been used to support AFSOC in missions around the world. It is a fifth-generation gunship that can provide close air support, air interdiction and armed reconnaissance.

https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3209455/afsoc-receives-final-ac-130j/

[Nikehercules]

Rookgordijng voor helicopters     maar hoe zit het dan met je eigen zicht ? sensoren, camera's e.d.  gelijk aan een "brownout" ?

Nee, bij een brownout zie je niets, zelfs de grond niet en dat is problematisch.

[Harald]

Rookgordijng voor helicopters     maar hoe zit het dan met je eigen zicht ? sensoren, camera's e.d.  gelijk aan een "brownout" ?

Weltweit erstmalige #Erprobung von Nebelschutzpatronen mit einem #Hubschrauber: unsere #WTD61 konnte das System #ROSY am #H145M LUH SOF adaptieren und erfolgreich testen. Insbesondere Spezialkräfte könnten davon profitieren.
@bundeswehrInfo

https://twitter.com/BaainBw/status/1578294305168363520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1578294305168363520%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=




German Air Force H145M Helicopter Completes Trial of Helicopter-launched Smoke Screen

The German Armed Forces Technical and Airworthiness Center for Aircraft (WTD 61) demonstrated the capability to adapt and test the Rapid Obscuring System (ROSY) on the Airbus H145M light utility helicopter (LUH) employed by the German special operations forces (SOF). The German defense procurement agency (Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr; BAAINBw) claims to be the world's first trial of a smoke screen deployed from a helicopter. BAAINBW says that special forces could particularly benefit from this development. Airbus was developing a smoke screen for the helicopter that would be deployed during the insertion of troops in the hover.

ROSY is the brand new smoke screen system of Rheinmetall Defence for protection of vehicles against all line-of-sight weapons, such as small arms, RPGs and Laser guided weapons. Unlike the conventional smoke protection systems in use around the world today, Rosy® is able to generate dynamic smoke screens as well as spontaneous, large-area and multispectral interruption of the line of sight (LOS). Rosy thus provides sustained protection for moving and stationary objects. Moreover, its multimission capability represents a sure defence against stream and wave attacks. Due to its integrated IR jamming and decoying capabilities, Rosy effectively counters conventional weapons, weapons with optical devices and laser distance measurement.

..../...

https://militaryleak.com/2022/10/10/german-air-force-h145m-helicopter-completes-trial-of-helicopter-launched-smoke-screen/

[Harald]

AFSOC AC-130J gunship to fire laser weapon in flight test in 2023

Air Force Special Operations Command will test an airborne laser in flight on an AC-130J gunship in 2023, a year later than planned.

A flying demonstration of Lockheed Martin's Airborne High Energy Laser, which will be integrated on an AC-130J Ghostrider, will start in summer 2023 and run through fall, AFSOC spokeswoman Lt. Col. Becky Heyse said response to questions from Breaking Defense.

"Results of the testing will determine future operational usage," she said. "At this time there is no concept of operation/employment developed for the [high energy laser]."

Lockheed delivered the 60-watt laser to AFSOC in October 2021 after completing factory acceptance testing of the system. At that point, flight demonstrations were slated to occur in 2022.

...../.....

https://breakingdefense.com/2022/09/afsoc-ac-130j-gunship-to-fire-laser-weapon-in-flight-test-in-2023/

[bergd]

Altijd al een mooi concept gevonden

[Huzaar1]

Voor Nederland ook noet verkeerd. En ik zie direct voordelen. Ergens landen op de oceaan. Bootjes met sf uitzetten. En weer oppikken.

[Thomasen]

U.S. Air Force Trains With Japan's US-2 Flying Boat As It Looks Forward To Its Own Amphibious Plane  ( De Amerikanen zijn serieus bezig met een Amph. vliegtuig voor SF )

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/44424/u-s-air-force-trains-with-japans-us-2-flying-boat-as-it-looks-forward-to-its-own-amphibious-plane



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI8_X8K5icI

Dit ding hadden ze al lang moeten hebben. Behalve SF ook voor het ophalen van je vliegers, logistiek, etc.

[Harald]

U.S. Air Force Trains With Japan's US-2 Flying Boat As It Looks Forward To Its Own Amphibious Plane  ( De Amerikanen zijn serieus bezig met een Amph. vliegtuig voor SF )

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/44424/u-s-air-force-trains-with-japans-us-2-flying-boat-as-it-looks-forward-to-its-own-amphibious-plane



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI8_X8K5icI

[Harald]

ShinMaywa And USSOCOM Comment On The US-2 Seaplane

Naval News reached out to ShinMaywa Industries, Ltd. in Japan to inquire on if the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) might be interested in their US-2 seaplane. A representative from ShinMaywa's Sales and Marketing Department replied. Naval News also reached out to USSOCOM for additional C-130J MAC status and comment.


Members of the Royal Australian Air Force, U.S. Air Force and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force stand in front of a JMSDF ShinMaywa US-2 during Cope North 22 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Feb. 10, 2022. The U.S. military always seeks to expand engagements and strengthen relationships with regional allies and partner nations in the Indo-Pacific through activities such as subject matter expert exchanges, host nation visits, and joint exercises and operations such as Cope North.

U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Comments
With growing interest in USSOCOM potentially acquiring an amphibious C-130J floatplane, or an actual seaplane, the top in-service seaplane contender with a "ship hull belly" remains the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Forces' (JMSDF) ShinMaywa US-2, a four-engine propeller seaplane with the primary role of Search and Rescue (SAR), contingency operations, and Humanitarian Disaster Relief. The US-2s that have been built currently serve with the JMSDF.

USSOCOM believes that it can add on pontoons to its existing fleet of MC-130Js to essentially turn them into floatplanes, a concept confirmed at the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference 2022 (SOFIC 2022).

"In terms of amphibious MC-130 demonstration, USSOCOM is actually going through some market research, currently, to see if we can identify any potential amphibious capacities to meet some of the SOF Requirements that are existing.  And currently AFSOC is also doing an experimental demonstration where they are planning on putting some float assemblies on a C-130 platform.  They use digital engineering as a major factor of reducing some of that risk and making some of those changes, and they have gone through some hydrotesting and some aero testing on a subscale factor."

Rich Rodriguez, USSOCOM's Tech Director in Emerging Technologies, on the status of the C-130 MAC at SOFIC 2022

There are advantages and disadvantages of this MC-130J floatplane concept. The main advantage is that adding pontoons would use SOCOM's existing stable of MC-130Js, if the mechanical engineering can be achieved as an add-on float kit. Hypothetically, any C-130J can then be converted into a floatplane if the pontoon kit allows conversion without any major structural modifications. The amphibious MC-130J (or MAC) would appear very similar to the rendering below.


SOFIC 2022 confirmed that this AFSOC concept of a MC-130 resting on pontoon floats is their experimental goal for an amphibious MC-130J

The main disadvantage of this MC-130J MAC floatplane concept is that the fuselage might rest so high up (that is if the pontoons cannot ballast down) so that the rear cargo ramp and side doors are positioned at such a height disadvantage to render waterborne operations difficult to achieve since the floatplane does not have a crane to raise and lower small boats from the ocean's surface.  (The ShinMaywa US-2 can lower and raise small rubber boats by hand through its side doors since its belly rests on the ocean's surface).  Indeed, AFSOC renderings even show ladders and steps from the MC-130J's fuselage leading to the pontoons and the water's surface. If the MAC is able to ballast down to the ocean's surface, that might submerge the FLIR ball under the fuselage nose, jeopardizing its sensitive electronics and optics.  Additionally, landing this MC-130J floatplane may prove difficult if the cockpit rests so high up.

Lockheed Martin has designed a seaplane with a boat (or whale belly) hull that can be seen here, but there has been no indication that the Lockheed Martin design progressed beyond a red and white scale model. Naval News reached out to Lockheed Martin for comment on the amphibious MC-130J concept and status and Lockheed deferred all questions to USSOCOM.

Naval News thus reached out to USSOCOM at the end of August 2022 for a MAC status update and Lt. Cassandra Thompson, USSOCOM Public Affairs, replied that the status remains unchanged, citing that the MAC is currently not an official Program of Record within the Defense Department (as of August 2022), and thus there is no new MAC news to share. A check of the U.S. government's contracting office website confirms that the C-130J MAC isn't an entry and thus not an official Program of Record.

Naval News also asked USSOCOM on their interest in the ShinMaywa US-2 and received a reply.

"The US-2 visit was a part of USSOCOM continuing to collaborate with AFSOC [U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command] conducting market research activities to analyze amphibious emergent technologies to develop a viable acquisition strategy."

Lt. Cassandra Thompson, USSOCOM Public Affairs

Photos on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) confirm that U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) personnel did indeed tour the ShinMaywa US-2 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on February 10, 2022 although USSOCOM offered no additional comments or details to Naval News on their interest or how the US-2 might factor into their acquisition plans due to the sensitive nature of special operations.

Therefore, besides subscale modeling, the actual status of the USSOCOM amphibious MC-130J floatplane remains unknown and unclear and if any would eventually be manufactured for the conventional U.S. maritime forces (U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard). The USSOCOM MAC should not be confused with the DARPA "Liberty Lifter."


Aircrew from Fleet Air Wing 31, Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, discuss capabilities of the ShinMaywa US-2 with Maj. Gen. Eric Hill, Air Force Special Operations Command Deputy commander and Col. Shane Vesely, 353rd Special Operations Wing commander, Nov 9, 2021. [Author's Note: The "Glass cockpit" instrument panel reflects the modern and sophisticated controls of the US-2 even if the seaplane appears somewhat vintage on the outside.


ShinMaywa Industries Comments

ShinMaywa's Aircraft Division's Sales & Marketing Department replied to Naval News' inquiry at the end of August 2022 regarding possible production of the US-2 for the United States military. ShinMaywa admitted that the US-2 is being developed for the JMSDF, but they cannot answer questions regarding the US-2's sensor outfit, production time, and the price per plane, citing customer preferences.

Naval News: Can weapons be mounted to the outside of the US-2?

ShinMaywa Industries, Ltd: "It is difficult to mount weapons on the outside."

Naval News: Did the United States military ever ask ShinMaywa for any demonstration on the US-2?

ShinMaywa Industries, Ltd: "AFSOC boarded a US-2 in Japan, which is uploaded on the AFSOC website."

Naval News: Is it possible to produce the US-2 for U.S. military service and if so, what modifications would this entail?

ShinMaywa Industries, Ltd: "It is possible to manufacture US-2 for AFSOC. ShinMaywa is willing to do so. We are promoting it in cooperation with U.S. companies. Maintenance manuals, etc. and equipment need to be made to AFSOC specifications."

Naval News: How much does a US-2 cost and how long does it take to build one?

ShinMaywa Industries, Ltd: "It is difficult to answer this question as US-2 prices vary widely depending on AFSOC requirements. We also cannot answer the lead time."

Naval News: How "maintenance intensive" is the US-2 and what is its life expectancy? How long before an overhaul and servicing?

ShinMaywa Industries, Ltd: "Short periodic maintenance intervals as we perform takeoffs and      landings at sea. The service life cannot be answered either."

Naval News: What benefits would the US-2 provide over other seaplanes?

ShinMaywa Industries, Ltd: "The most important feature of the US-2 is its ability to take off and land over very short distances on the water. Compared to other sea planes, it is by far the shortest. ShinMaywa is confident that the US-2 will meet the requirements of the U.S. military better than the C-130J MAC." ShinMaywa states the US-2 is the only amphibian that can land on rough seas with a wave height of 3 meters.

Naval News: How many US-2s have been built?

ShinMaywa Industries, Ltd: "We are manufacturing US-2, unit No. 9."

Naval News: Can the US-2 taxi on and off land and into and out of the water?

ShinMaywa Industries, Ltd: "US-2 can take off on land."

Naval News: Are the instruments' night-vision goggle compatible and does the US-2 have night vision capability?

ShinMaywa Industries, Ltd: "US-2 does not have night vision capability."

Naval News: Can the US-2 be refueled in mid-air? Can it be refueled at sea?

ShinMaywa Industries, Ltd: "No in-air refueling capability. There is the ability to refuel from a ship at sea." The US-2 can fly at 298 MPH or 480 KMH with a range of 2,920 miles or 4,700 kilometers. Water takeoff distance is 280 meters (918 feet) and water landing distance is 330 meters (1,082 feet).



Author's Comments

For speculative discussion purposes, an American AFSOC US-2 offers USSOCOM both benefits and issues. With a current low production number (only nine ShinMaywa US-2s have been built so far), the U.S. Armed Forces might see the US-2 as a specialized seaplane if actually purchased for U.S. special operations and maritime forces. The US-2 comes unarmed, and without a rear cargo ramp to potentially drop pallets of bundled precision-guided munitions, arming the US-2 seems remote. However, the U.S. Marine Corps' KC-130J Harvest HAWK has a precision-guided munitions launcher called the Derringer Door. A rack accommodates up to 10 munitions. Such a Derringer Door might be added to the American US-2 for stand-off armament within the US-2's pressurized cabin. Interior swingarm machine gun mounts by the side doors could also be an option and the swingarm mounts get folded away to clear the doorways.


The U.S. Marine Corps' KC-130J Harvest HAWK is modified with a pressurized standoff, precision-guided munitions launcher called the Derringer door and a rack for 10 munitions

A three minute video on the ShinMaywa website shows a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) being hoisted into the US-2's side door via a rope looped around a knob above the door. The crew pulls the rope and hustles the RHIB to enter the door sideways. The RHIB is deployed by pushing it out the side door. For humans and SAR missions, this might be acceptable method of handling the RHIB because humans are able to use their own muscle power to embark and disembark from the US-2 to and from the RHIB quite rapidly, but for loading and unloading heavy cargo and armament, tying the RHIB by a single rope might prove difficult in heavy seas compared to launching the already-loaded RHIB from the MC-130J MAC's interior via stern ramp, if at all possible from a MC-130J floatplane.

If adopted into service, the ShinMaywa US-2 seaplane might be a huge help and asset for Visual Board Search and Seizure (VBSS), high speedboat pursuits, and drug, pirate, and smuggling interdictions for the U.S. Coast Guard.


An orange RHIB by the US-2's side door. Note the orange knob above the door and crew to allow a rope to be tied to raise and lower the RHIB like a pulley


A ShinMaywa US-2 resting on the water's surface. Note the rope tied to the orange knob above the door to act as a pulley mechanism for the diver

Another question might be how reliable the US-2, if made for U.S. service, will be with all the added U.S. government furnished equipment (GFE) installed compared to an US-2 with all-Japanese manufactured equipment modified to the English language. Since USSOCOM (and the U.S. military) often add on lots of extra GFE equipment (jammers, sensors, countermeasures, night vision, datalinks, and secure communications), how complex would an AFSOC US-2 actually be if its multirole purpose goes beyond Humanitarian Relief, contingencies, and SAR?

"Short periodic maintenance intervals" might turn into long maintenance downtime that would render American US-2s docked at the pier more often than deployed over and on the open water if AFSOC requires a combat-equipped US-2 with all the fancy "high maintenance" U.S. GFE gadgetry as almost standard to any U.S. aircraft. ShinMaywa stated that they're confident that working with AFSOC would satisfy the American's special forces' requirements.

Nonetheless, American US-2s can be the logistic carriers, seaplane tenders and SAR seaplanes for downed pilots that the U.S. Navy so desperately needs. American US-2s can also service, refuel, rearm, and monitor its growing fleet of unmanned surface and sub-surface vessels. To span the "tyranny of distance" that are the world's oceans, the ShinMaywa US-2 might indeed be a possible solution to U.S. special operations and maritime forces.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/09/shinmaywa-and-ussocom-comment-on-the-us-2-seaplane/