Float Plane Air Force Special Ops Wants Runway Independence, More Speed.

• Author: Magnuson, Stew

TAMPA, Florida -- Air Force Special Operations Command has a long technology wish list. The command is tasked with transporting commandos covertly, quickly and across long distances and to penetrate where other aircraft can't normally go. Naturally, it wants to improve its performance in all these categories, especially the latter, taking personnel to locations where there are no runways--a job best carried out by rotary-wing aircraft.

But what if almost three-fourths of the planet could serve as a runway by allowing fixed-wing aircraft to land on water? The entire IndoPacific could be considered a runway, SOCOM Acquisitions Executive James Smith told reporters recently.

That's the reasoning behind the idea to bolt pontoons onto a MC-130J airlifter to convert it into a float plane, a concept the command has been studying for more than two years.

Air Force Col. Ken Kuebler, program executive officer for fixedwing aircraft at SOCOM, said: "We continue to push forward with some of that technology [but] it's a really hard engineering problem," he said during a presentation at the SOF Week conference.

The office is carrying out hydroand sub-scale testing, studying how it would perform in various sea states, and is moving toward a critical design review, he said.

In addition, the command is looking at more mundane day-to-day operations such as maintenance and support, equipment needs, training and "how do we go with this whole systems of systems approach to be able to do that," he said.

The command is working with several organizations to carry out the studies and tests. "We are looking at two to three years to go do a demonstration of the full capability," he said.

Kuebler was asked if the command would consider acquiring the ShinMaywa US-2 fixed-wing amphibious aircraft--which is flown by the Japan Self-Defense Force--as a stopgap solution.

Nothing has been ruled out, Kuebler said. The program executive office has had talks with Japan about its float plane capabilities, especially as it works out concepts of operation and training, he said.

"We are looking across the globe at these capabilities," he said. "I think everything in the acquisition strategy is still on the table as we look at different lines of efforts to make sure that we can have a runway independent and amphibious capability," he said.

The ShinMaywa US-2 can land on runways or water and is primarily used for search-and-rescue missions. It can carry a crew of 11 plus 20...