DARPA Wants Cargo Seaplane Airborne in Five Years

The first development contract for Liberty Lifter could be issued by October.

Kimberly Johnson

Thursday, June 23, 2022 at 05:22 PM ET

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An artist rendering of DARPA's Liberty Lifter. [Courtesy: DARPA]

Key Takeaways:

DARPA's "Liberty Lifter" project is developing a heavy-lift cargo seaplane, with C-17-like payload capacity, designed for long-range strategic and tactical operations from turbulent ocean water, delivering cargo directly to ports or beaches.
The innovative X-plane will feature a twin-hull catamaran-like design for stability and increased cargo volume, along with distributed propulsion for efficient lift, aiming to fly low using ground effect to combine ship efficiency with aircraft speed.
Built with low-cost, lightweight materials, the Liberty Lifter seeks to offer an affordable alternative to traditional airlifters, enhance survivability through low-altitude flight, and is anticipated to perform its first flight within the next five years.

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Future military heavy-lift cargo pilots might need to bring their sea legs. That’s because a project by the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) aims to develop a new cargo seaplane with a payload capacity similar to a C-17.

DARPA’s Liberty Lifter concept is a long-range X-plane capable of seaborne strategic and tactical lift operations with the ability to take off in turbulent ocean water. It will be affordable, made with low-cost, lightweight materials. If all goes as planned, the Liberty Lifter will perform its first flight in about five years.