History
Early United States Navy recognition of need for a cargo plane capable of carrier landings resulted in airframe conversion of Grumman TBM-3 Avenger torpedo bombers to unarmed seven-passenger COD aircraft designated TBM-3R. Replacement of TBM-3Rs began in the late 1950s. Grumman built a cargo variant of its twin-piston-engined S-2 Tracker anti-submarine warfare bomber known as the C-1A Trader. The Navy in 1963 briefly experimented with the C-130 Hercules for COD. In the late 1960s Grumman began production of a cargo variant of its twin-turboprop E-2 Hawkeye Airborne Early Warning aircraft known as the C-2A Greyhound. Five Lockheed US-3A Viking aircraft were also used from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s. Today the C-2 remains the U.S. Navy's primary COD vehicle. The entire fleet of 34 C-2As are currently undergoing a Critical Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) to extend their operational lifespans.
On 6 October 2012, a MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft from squadron VMM-165 landed and refueled on board the USS Nimitz (CVN-68). This operation was part of an evaluation of the feasibility of the MV-22 as a potential replacement for the C-2 Greyhound cargo transport aircraft.
Several U.S. Navy "Fleet Logistics Support Squadrons" provided COD services aboard carriers since the Second World War:
| Squadron | Nickname | Tail code | Established | Disbanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VR-5 | Providers | RS | 24 June 1943 | 15 July 1957 |
| VR-21 | Pineapple Airlines | RZ | 15 July 1957 | 1 October 1966 |
| VR-22 | Medriders | RB | 1 April 1967 | |
| VR-23 | Codfish Airline | RK | 1951 | 15 July 1957 |
| VR-24 | Lifting Eagles | JM | 3 December 1946 | 31 March 1993 |
| VRC-30 | Providers | RW | 1 October 1966 | |
| VRC-40 | Rawhides | JK | 1 July 1960 | |
| VRC-50 | Foo Dogs | RG | 1 October 1966 | 7 October 1994 |
Read more about this topic: Carrier Onboard Delivery
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