We offer a wide variety of products that support social infrastructure.

We would like to introduce a product that has carried our legacy into the present day: the US-2 STOL Search and Rescue Amphibian.​​

Key Feature (1) : The upper part functions as an aircraft and the lower part as a ship, allowing it to take off and touch down on both land and water. The upper part functions as an aircraft and the lower part as a ship, allowing it to take off and touch down on both land and water.

​​The US-2 is an amphibious aircraft operated by the Ministry of Defense’s Maritime Self-Defense Force. Its most impressive feature is its ability to take off from and land on the open sea, even with waves that are 3m high.​​

The US-2’s unique high-wave resistance technology, which consists of a groove-type spray suppressor that causes the water to flow downward and a “spray strip” that channels the water sideways, prevents the aircraft from sustaining damage when landing on the water. This technology, combined with its ultra-low-speed flight technology (approx. 90 km/h), makes it the only aircraft in the world capable of taking off from and landing in rough seas with waves of up to 3m. ​​​​​​

Key Feature (2) : Capable of taking off from and landing on water (land) over short distances

The aircraft has excellent STOL (short takeoff and landing) performance, and it can take off from a distance of approximately 280m when taking off from the water and 490m when taking off from the land, eliminating the need for a long runway like those used by general passenger aircraft. In addition, since it is an amphibious aircraft, it does not require a runway to be constructed.​​​​​​​​​​

Where is it made?

​The US-2 is manufactured at the Konan Plant (Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture).​​​​​

While test flights prior to delivery are not open to the public, the aircraft goes out to sea from the plant and takes off from the open sea, so if you are lucky enough to see it, it is possible to capture the aircraft on camera.

Where it’s used

The aircraft has been involved in over 1,000 maritime accident rescue operations if counting from the model used two generations prior, the US-1. It is also used to transport emergency patients from outlying islands without airports to main islands.​​​​