Kawasaki C-2

Twin-engine military transport aircraft developed by Kawasaki Heavy Industries to replace the Kawasaki C-1 in Japan Air Self-Defense Force service, offering intercontinental range and jet-speed cargo delivery. It has also been marketed for export and as a maritime patrol / electronic-warfare platform base.

In service since 2016 · 1 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

890

km/h

6,500

km range

12,200

m ceiling

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

National export licensing

Subject to Japan export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.

Channel: Direct commercial / G2G

Fielded & proven

Limited · 1 operator

In service since 2016. Status: active · ~20 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.: 890 km/h

Stronger than 68% of transport aircraft
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 6,500 km

Stronger than 63% of transport aircraft
Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.: 12,200 m

Stronger than 70% of transport aircraft

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 43.9 m
Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span.: 44.4 m
Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.: 60,800 kg
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.: 141,400 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.: 3
Cargo payload Maximum cargo the transport can carry. Higher means more lift per sortie.: 30,000 kg

Stronger than 46% of transport aircraft

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Engine Powerplant model and type.: 2x General Electric CF6-80C2 turbofans
Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.: 2
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…: Turbofan

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 20

Stronger than 11% of transport aircraft
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 1

Stronger than 27% of transport aircraft

Specifications compiled from public Kawasaki Heavy Industries and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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