At least two cargo planes assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) landed this Thursday at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Puerto Rico, amid a military deployment ordered by US President Donald Trump to combat drug cartels in the Caribbean Sea.
According to the air traffic monitor FlightRadar24, the two aircraft had taken off from a nearby point in the ocean northeast of the British Virgin Islands, revealing the proximity of the world's largest aircraft carrier to the Southern Command's theater of operations.
The aircraft were identified as the C-2A Greyhound model, manufactured by Grumman Aircraft, and with the call codes 162162 and 162157 respectively.
As if that weren't enough, photographer Ricardo Arduengo, affiliated with the Reuters news agency, published images on social media of the cargo planes landing in Puerto Rico.
Although it is not an aircraft that actively participates during battle, the C-2A Greyhound has earned a permanent place on most aircraft carriers, including the USS Gerald Ford, where it is operated by a detachment of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40.
The Greyhound is a derivative of the Advanced Hawkeye, used to transport cargo and passengers between ships and land. It is currently the only transport aircraft capable of landing on aircraft carriers. It is also distinguished by its large rear cargo door.
