It takes a special aircraft to deliver supplies, people, and mail to an aircraft carrier at sea, and for decades that aircraft has been the Grumman C-2 Greyhound. The twin-engine high-wing designed for carrier onboard delivery (COD) has now made its final carrier delivery.
According to the U.S. Navy, the C-2 made its final arrested landing and catapult launch aboard the USS Nimitz on June 25. The aircraft has been in service since 1965, and quickly became the workhorse of the fleet, as it could land and take off from a ship at sea.
The design has evolved over the years. In 1973 the aircraft was overhauled, and its design was updated in 1984 with new airframes and its designation changed to C-2A or C-2A(R). Part of the update included changing from four-bladed to eight-bladed propellers.
In 2010 the aircraft was equipped with glass cockpits while the Navy simultaneously began looking for a a replacement airframe for the aging fleet. That replacement is the CMV-22B Osprey, which has enhanced capabilities in the form of vertical flight.
The C-2 was introduced to the civilian world through Hollywood. The aircraft played a pivotal role in a number of action movies where the protagonist had to get on board a carrier for combat operations, including The Final Count Down and The Hunt for Red October.
According to the Navy, the C-2 will officially be retired later this year.
