The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, is working on a heavy-duty seaplane called the “Liberty Lifter.” Straight Arrow News first reported on the project in 2023, and now there are some updates to pass along.
Of the two designs initially chosen, DARPA down-selected the model presented by Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing company.
Aurora is now in the process of designing and building a demonstrator that will be roughly the size of a C-130. The purpose of the Liberty Lifter is to combine transport at the scale of a ship with the speed of an aircraft.
In 2022, the project requirements stated that the plane would need to carry the equivalent of two U.S. Marine Corps Amphibious Combat Vehicles. Each ACV weighs 67,500 pounds — which gives the plane nearly the same cargo-carrying capacity as a C-17 Globemaster.
If the Liberty Lifter is closer in size to a C-130, however, its total carrying capacity will be closer to 42,000 pounds. But if the concept is proven viable and cost-effective, many of the same technologies could be scaled up to accommodate a seaplane the size of a Globemaster.
Where will the Liberty Lifter operate?
Unlike the C-17, the flying boat will need to lift those tools at altitudes up to 10,000 feet and as low as a few feet above the surface of the water.
In comments to Naval News, the Liberty Lifter program manager said the vehicle will be crucial for successful littoral operations in the Pacific should a conflict occur.
That’s because it will be a long-range craft that is runway– and port-infrastructure-independent. The plane would be able to fly to a remote island in the middle of the ocean, drop off Marines or soldiers armed with all sorts of weaponry, and take off again fairly quickly — no air traffic controllers or port masters involved.
Does DARPA see any other uses for Liberty Lifter?
The plane can also be used for search and rescue operations or humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions. DARPA says the remoteness and lack of runways and ports in the Pacific make traditional logistics support impossible when time is a factor.
When Straight Arrow News first reported on the plane in 2023, it was expected to take flight sometime in 2027 or 2028. The maiden voyage is now scheduled for fiscal year 2029.