Japanese airframer ShinMaywa is proposing a set of improvements for its US-2 amphibian, as it also looks to develop unmanned aircraft.
The company is developing an automatic landing and take-off capability for the aircraft, as well as other technology updates, according to managing executive officer Katsuo Tanaka.
In addition, ShinMaywa wants to integrate artificial intelligence to enhance the aircraft’s search and rescue capabilities. Tanaka states, however, that any updates will be based on the requirements of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
Speaking to FlightGlobal at the Japan Aerospace show in Tokyo, Tanaka notes that the first US-2 is already two decades old. The JMSDF operates just seven of the aircraft, which serves in the long-range search and rescue role.
The company, which produces the US-2 at an extremely slow rate, will continue to build new examples as replacements for the earliest US-2s. The JMSDF’s overall fleet is not expected to grow above seven examples.
Specific military missions for the type include rescuing the crews of submarines and of long-range maritime patrol aircraft.
The US-2 is powered by four Rolls-Royce AE2100J turboprops. A fifth R-R engine, a CTS800, is located just in the fuselage aft of the wings to support the aircraft’s unique Boundary Layer Control (BLC) system.
The BLC generates compressed air around the flaps and control surfaces and improves the performance of the wing, allowing a landing speed of 55kt (102km/h) and a take-off speed of 80kt in seas of up to 3m (9ft 8in).
ShinMaywa is also developing unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), most notably ones that can take off and land on water.
The UAVs are envisaged as monitoring Japan’s exclusive economic zone. A fixed-wing amphibious UAV could operate from remote Japanese islands that lack runways.
In addition to surveillance, ShinMaywa envisages UAVs dropping life-saving supplies during search and rescue operations.
In 2021, the company conducted experiments with the experimental XU-M UAV, which explored autonomous take-off and landing from water.
