The ShinMaywa US-2 is a large Japanese short takeoff and landing

amphibious aircraft An amphibious aircraft or amphibian is an aircraft (typically fixed-wing) that can take off and land on both solid ground and water, though amphibious helicopters do exist as well. Fixed-wing amphibious aircraft are seaplanes ( flying boa ...

developed and manufactured by seaplane specialist

ShinMaywa , romanized_name = Shin-Meiwa Kōgyō Kabushiki-gaisha , former_name = ShinMeiwa Industries, Ltd. , type = K.K. , industry = Transportation, Machine, Defense , traded_as = , fate = , predecessor = Kawanishi Aircraft Company , success ...

(formerly ''Shin Meiwa''). It was developed from the earlier Shin Meiwa US-1A seaplane, which was introduced during the 1970s. The ShinMaywa US-2 was developed on behalf of the

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force , abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJ ...

(JMSDF) as a 'like-for-like' replacement for its aging US-1A fleet. In Japanese service, it is operated in the air-sea rescue (ASR) role. The US-2 can also be used in other capacities, such as an aerial fire fighter, carrying 15 tonnes of water for this mission. Various overseas operators have held discussions on potential acquisitions of the type, including the

Indian Navy The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates si ...

and

Indian Coast Guard The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is a maritime law enforcement and search and rescue agency of India with jurisdiction over its territorial waters including its contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone. The Indian Coast Guard was formally es ...

. Other countries such as the

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Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

, and

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have also shown interest in the US-2 for various purposes.

Design and development

During 1969, the

(JMSDF) issued a production order to Japanese seaplane manufacturer Shin Meiwa for a group of 21

anti-submarine An anti-submarine weapon (ASW) is any one of a number of devices that are intended to act against a submarine and its crew, to destroy (sink) the vessel or reduce its capability as a weapon of war. In its simplest sense, an anti-submarine weapo ...

aircraft, which were given the designation PS-1. The service had also opted to procure a variant of the type, designated US-1A, specifically for search-and-rescue (SAR). The US-1A was Japan's first

amphibian Amphibians are four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terrestrial, fossorial, arbo ...

- capable of being used on land and sea. During the 1990s when the US-1A fleet was beginning to show its age, the JMSDF attempted to obtain funding towards acquiring a replacement, but could not secure enough to develop an entirely new aircraft. Therefore, during 1995, ShinMaywa, as Shin Meiwa had been renamed (reportedly so that the name would be easier to pronounce for non-Japanese speakers) commenced work on a project to develop an upgraded and modernised version of the US-1A, initially referred to as the US-1A ''kai'' (US-1A 改 - meaning "improved US-1A"). This modified aircraft features numerous aerodynamic refinements over its predecessor, along with a pressurised hull, and the adoption of more powerful Rolls-Royce AE 2100 engines and electronic cockpit instrumentation. The JMSDF also listed various refinements for the amphibian, including improved handling while landing on water, better onboard patient transfer facilities, and improved search-and-rescue capabilities at sea.Simpson, James
"Japan's defense industry is super excited about this amphibious plane."
''The Week'', 10 September 2015. On 18 December 2003, flight testing of the type, which was subsequently designated as the US-2, commenced. During early 2007, ShinMaywa formally launched commercial production of the amphibian. Production is handled by several of Japan's aviation companies. Mitsubishi manufactures the outer wing sections and the rear part of the engine nacelles, while NIPPI Corporation builds the watertight landing gear housings, and

Kawasaki Heavy Industries (or simply Kawasaki) is a Japanese Public company, public multinational corporation manufacturer of motorcycles, engines, Heavy equipment (construction), heavy equipment, aerospace and Military, defense equipment, rolling stock and ships, headq ...

produces the cockpit. Final assembly is performed by ShinMaywa around the US-2's

hull Hull may refer to: Structures * Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship * Submarine hull Mathematics * Affine hull, in affi ...

. The production line only has the capacity to produce two aircraft at a time. During 2009, the first production US-2, which was outfitted for the search and rescue mission, was delivered to the Japan's Ministry of Defense. In 2010, ShinMaywa unveiled specifications for a civil fire-fighting variant of its US-2 amphibian. It began marketing the new variant to potential overseas customers that same year. The fire-fighting model replaces one fuel tank with a 15 tonne water tank, reducing its maximum range to 2,300 km (1,245 nm) compared with the SAR's 4,700 km range. The tank is durable enough for salt water, foam and

fire retardant A fire retardant is a substance that is used to slow down or stop the spread of fire or reduce its intensity. This is commonly accomplished by chemical reactions that reduce the flammability of fuels or delay their combustion. Fire retardants ...

. Other features include a pair of water scoops for collecting water, automatic foam mixing equipment and a computer-controlled water drop system.

Operational history

Japan

The JMSDF intends to purchase up to 14 US-2s for its search and rescue needs. The type is currently operated by the 31st Fleet Air Wing (71st Air Force, 71st Flight Squadron) of the JMSDF from both Iwakuni Air Base and

Atsugi Air Base is a joint Japan-US naval air base located in the cities of Yamato and Ayase in Kanagawa, Japan. It is the largest United States Navy (USN) air base in the Pacific Ocean and once housed the squadrons of Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5), whi ...

. The introduction of the US-2 has enabled the withdrawal of the US-1A, the last of which performed its final flight during December 2017. During April 2015, aircraft 9905 was involved in an accident. The aircraft was on a training mission near Cape Ashizuri in Shikoku and four crew members were injured. By November 2018, a total of six US-2s had been delivered while a further two aircraft were under production.

Export opportunities

Since the early 2010s, the

has an established requirement for between 12 and 18 US-2 amphibians configured as search and rescue aircraft at an anticipated cost of US$1.65 billion. The

has also shown interest in procuring three aircraft for its own purposes. It is expected that, if procured, several of these amphibians would be stationed in the

Andaman and Nicobar Islands The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a union territory of India consisting of 572 islands, of which 37 are inhabited, at the junction of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The territory is about north of Aceh in Indonesia and separated f ...

. Indian authorities have reportedly been keen to have the US-2 assembled in India via a licensing arrangement. Performing final assembly of the aircraft locally is expected to cost 25% less than in Japan. Negotiations between the two nations commenced during 2011. The process of finalising purchase arrangements for the aircraft, which would represent the first sale of military equipment by Japan to India since the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, have been protracted. During October 2016, ShinMaywa announced that it had reduced the offered price to around US$113 million per aircraft. At one point, there were expectations that Japan and India would be signing a contract for the US-2 purchase during November 2016. The decision was deferred by Indian defence minister Manohar Parrikar. During March 2018, Japanese ambassador to India Kenji Hiramatsu informed ''

The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the sec ...

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'' that talks between the two nations were still in progress. During April 2018, ShinMaywa signed a memorandum of understanding with Indian conglomerate Mahindra Group in support of future Indian sales. Another prospective customer is

, which has been reportedly concerned by a growing Chinese military presence across the islands of the

South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Ph ...

. It has been speculated that Indonesia could be a key partner in the production of the US-2, potentially competing with India for workshare in the programme. Reportedly, without implementing outsourced production, ShinMaywa is unlikely to be unable to promptly fulfil the needs of a third customer due to its limited production capacity. There have also been reports that

is interested in purchasing a number of US-2s as

maritime patrol aircraft A maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), also known as a patrol aircraft, maritime reconnaissance aircraft, or by the older American term patrol bomber, is a fixed-wing aircraft designed to operate for long durations over water in maritime patrol ro ...

. The nation is reportedly seeking to bolster its surveillance and

anti-submarine warfare Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations are typ ...

capabilities while developing deeper defense ties between itself and Japan. Following a series of deadly fires in the

Attica region Attica ( el, Περιφέρεια Αττικής, translit=Periféria Attikís, ) is an administrative region of Greece, that encompasses the entire metropolitan area of Athens, the country's capital and largest city. The region is coextensive w ...

circa July 2018, the Greek government reportedly sought to order several US-2s to replace their aging firefighting fleet. If the sale is completed, it would be the first major defense procurement by Greece from a Japanese supplier.