2016-07-01

Kawasaki Heavy Delivers First Production C-2 Military Transport



Kawasaki Heavy Delivers First Production C-2 Military Transport


Compiled from various domestic reporting

1 July 2016
The editor


Jiji Press

Kawasaki Heavy Industries announced on June 30 that the company delivered the first kind of production unit of C-2 medium military transport to Japanese Air Force.


The new transport is  a successor of C-1, the first indigenous military jet transport by the same company in service since 1973, but can carry 30 tons  almost four times as heavy than C-1 which have been criticized of too small cargo capacity.

PHOTO: Tadayuki YOSHIKAWA/Aviation Wire

With length of 43.9 meters, wingspan of 44.4 meters, C-2’s maximum takeoff weight is 141 tons.

With payload of 12 tons, it can fly as long as 6,500 km and reach Hawaii from Japan. C-2 also has air refueling receiver in flying boom system.
C-2 is powered by two GE CF6-80C2 engines which is also used by commercial Boeing 767 and defense purpose-built E-767 for the Japanese Air Force.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries was awarded development contract of experimental XC-2 in 2002. The  company also was awaraded to develop P-1, four-engined maritime patrol aircraft to replace P-3C for the Japanese navy and its first example of prodcution spec fliew first timei in September 2012.
The Defense Ministry will procure more than ten C-2s with total budget of JPY 264.3 billion with unit price of JPY 22.9billion but the series production unit will be priced JPY 18.8 billion.
But the demand of the Japanese military is quite limited and Kawasaki looks forward to exporting the aircraft.

PHOTO: Tadayuki YOSHIKAWA/Aviation Wire