The C-2 is powered by two Allison T56 turboprop engines.The C-2A and C-2A(R) can provide a payload of up to 10,000 pounds (4,545 kg). The cabin can accommodate cargo, passengers or both at any time. It is also equipped to carry casualties and serve as a medical escort. It is also capable of carrying priority cargo, such as fighter jet engines, directly from shore bases to aircraft carriers in a matter of hours.
In addition, the aircraft is equipped with a carrier rack and cage system, plus a large aft ramp, cabin doors and power winches to allow for rapid loading and unloading of cargo on board aircraft carriers. The C-2A's open ramp allows it to use the aircraft carrier as a mobile base to airdrop supplies and personnel to its surroundings. Combined with its folding wing design and auxiliary power system (which provides self-sufficient electrical power for starting and landing, facilitating operations in remote areas), the C-2 is a versatile shipboard transport unmatched by any other cargo aircraft. The original default life of the C-2A(R) Greyhound transport was 10,000 flight hours (or 15,000 carrier landings), but frequent U.S. military operations overseas after the turn of the year 2000 have pushed most C-2A(R) airframes to rapidly approach their default landing limit. According to U.S. Navy plans, the C-2A(R) is needed in service until at least 2015 to support carrier battle group operations. To this end, the U.S. Navy has begun a Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) to extend the expected flight hours of the 36 C-2A(R)s to 15,000 hours, or 36,000 ship landings, enough to extend service through 2027.
In addition to the life extension of the main airframe architecture, the SLEP program includes a series of performance enhancement projects. The enhancements include structural strengthening of the main wing, upgrades to the navigation system, the addition of crash survivable flight incident recorders, the military version of the flight data recorder, and a ground approach warning system. The navigation system upgrades include the introduction of the Global Positioning System (GPS) and the addition of two sets of AN/ASN-139 Carrier Aircraft Inertial Navigation System (CAINS,-II).