While the high-level AFSOC visit to Iwakuni was explicitly described as a fact-finding mission, at least in part, that’s not necessarily the case with the Air Force’s interactions with the US-2 in Cope North 22. However, in light of the service’s previous interest, it’s noteworthy that Air Force personnel have now been working with the US-2 in some of the kinds of missions that it envisages for a potential new amphibious aircraft.

In partnership with the Air Force Research Lab’s Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation (AFRL-SDPE) directorate, AFSOC is developing an MC-130J Commando II Amphibious Capability (MAC) to improve the platform’s support of seaborne special operations. “The development of the MAC capability is the culmination of multiple lines of effort,” said Lt Col Josh Trantham, AFSOC Science, Systems, Technology, & Innovation (SST&I) Deputy Division Chief. “This capability allows the Air Force to increase placement and access for infiltration, exfiltration, and personnel recovery, as well as providing enhanced logistical capabilities for future competition and conflict.”

Before this point, there were other signals that AFSOC was finally embracing the idea of an amphibious C-130, a concept that has been explored on several occasions in the past, with a variety of floatplane concepts having been examined.

All told, the Asia Pacific region is seeing a definite resurgence in interest in seaplanes right now. While the MC-130J MAC will not be a true flying boat, like the US-2 and the even larger Chinese AG600, it will have an amphibious capability, meaning it will be able to still land on a runway with its floats fitted. As for the AG600, it has recently undergone a major redesign and remains in prototype form for now. 

Among the missions that are being considered for the C-130 floatplane is combat search and rescue, which presents particular demands in the Asia Pacific theater, where aircrew may need to be plucked from the water at considerable distances — far beyond the reach of the current fleet of HH-60G Pave Hawks, for example. Future CSAR platforms, including amphibious, vertical takeoff and landing, and even stealth capabilities, are something the Air Force is already looking at. With its ability to operate from water, and to cover long distances, the US-2 provides some idea of how the MC-130J MAC might be operated in this role. 

This kind of concept fits in very much with the broader Agile Combat Employment concept, in which runway independence is fast becoming a huge issue for the U.S. military. An MC-130J that’s able to operate from water or from airstrips would be one way of helping mitigate the vulnerability of large conventional runways, particularly when held at risk by ballistic missiles.

Some are even saying that AFSOC should just buy the US-2, which could make some sense for a more limited mission set. But the MC-130J MAC would be better suited for supporting logistical operations, including moving outsized supplies, vehicles, and fuel to remote outposts. Then again, the MC-130J MAC doesn’t actually exist just yet and its actual capabilities are yet to be realized.

There is also a sense of urgency around AFSOC’s future amphibious aircraft, with plans announced last September for an operational demonstration of the MAC concept in just 17 months.

Should that ambitious timeline be met, the Air Force may not have to wait long before it, too, can field a transport that can operate from water with as much ease as it can on land. In the meantime, Japan’s US-2 provides a fascinating glimpse of what kinds of capabilities this class of aircraft can offer.

Contact the author: [email protected]