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3w ago

U.S. Navy Retires C-2A Greyhound From Carrier COD Role

The handover signals a shift to CMV‑22B tiltrotors that add vertical delivery plus aerial refueling as the fleet completes safety fixes.

Image
A C-2A Greyhound, attached to the “Rawhides” of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 40, approaches Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) while making the last ever arrested landing by a Greyhound on a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier in the Atlantic Ocean, June 25, 2026. (Image credit: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Peter K. McHaddad)
A C-2A Greyhound assigned to the Providers of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 30 lands aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. [Credit: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Peter Merrill]

Overview

  • The C-2A Greyhound made its final arrested landing and catapult launch on June 25, 2026, closing nearly 60 years of fixed‑wing carrier onboard delivery (COD) service.
  • The Navy has formally handed COD duties to the CMV‑22B Osprey, a tiltrotor that can take off and land vertically, receive aerial refueling, and carry an F‑35C engine internally.
  • Fleet Logistics Support Squadron VRC‑40 'Rawhides' flew the last carrier traps during FLEETEX 250 aboard USS Nimitz and Greyhound airframes will continue limited shore flying until they are retired later in 2026.
  • The CMV‑22B replacement has faced reliability and safety issues, including a 2023 CV‑22 grounding after an Air Force crash off Japan, and the Navy has been lifting operational limits only after fixes and added controls.
  • The shift ends arrested‑recovery COD operations, alters carrier deck procedures and logistics doctrine by favoring distributed vertical delivery, and raises pressure on the Osprey fleet to reach dependable, no‑fail readiness for carrier strike groups.