A Fairchild Dornier C-146A Wolfhound is now based at RAF Mildenhall having touched down on 4 December 2024.

The Wolfhound (10-3077) landed at the Suffolk air base after flying the Atlantic via Lajes in the Azores using the callsign BANYA 71. Commenting on the arrival of the aircraft, an RAF Mildenhall spokesperson told KeyAero: “One C-146A Wolfhound arrived to the 352nd SOW from the 524th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Florida.”

The decision to base the Wolfhound within Air Force Special Operations Command’s (AFSOCOM) 352nd Special Operations Wing (SOW) was reportedly taken by US and British authorities in March 2024 to increase the capabilities of special operations forces within US Air Forces Europe – Air Forces Africa. Basing the aircraft at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, will decrease response times for a range of missions and, according to the US Air Force, “provide increased security, disaster response and emergency airlift capability” for both US European Command and US Africa Command. “Before agreeing to station the aircraft in the United Kingdom, US officials conducted an extensive environmental impact analysis and shared their results with the British Ministry of Defence.”

The 352nd SOW currently operates both the Lockheed Martin MC-130J Commando II and the Bell-Boeing CV-22B Osprey with the 67th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) and 7th SOS, respectively, both squadron reporting to the subordinate 352nd SOW. According to a spokesman for RAF Mildenhall, “a new unit in the 352nd SOW is not being activated; the aircraft and crew will fall within the 67th Special Operations Squadron. There is no current estimate of the number of Wolfhounds the Wing will gain, but we’ll be postured to welcome more as mission calls to respond to crisis and contingencies within the theatre.”

C-146A Wolfhound is the US Mission Design Series designation and popular name for a derivative of the Fairchild-Dornier Do 328 regional airliner. A total of 21 C-146As have been noted operated by the US Air Force, the largest fleet of the Do 328 in service, although the fleet is usually quoted as comprising 20 aircraft. The Wolfhound is described by the service as “a twin-engine, high-wing aircraft equipped with a configurable cabin capable of various passenger and cargo combinations, as well as casualty evacuation missions. Its primary mission is to provide reliable, responsive, and flexible airlift support to US operations worldwide, often occurring in austere and remote locations not routinely serviced by traditional logistics organizations.”

All of the aircraft were acquired for US Special Operations Command to conduct discreet transport missions of special operations personnel, assisted by the adoption of ‘airliner-like’ colour schemes and little in the way of national markings. They were sourced by the Sierra Nevada Corporation – which currently hold the aircraft’s Type Certificate – from the second hand market after service with civilian operators. Each airframe underwent a six-month inspection and modification process, including overhaul of their Pratt & Whitney Canada PW119C engines, prior to delivery to the US military. Some were equipped with anti-gravel kits to protect their undersides during operations from unpaved runways, while new avionics and communication systems, reportedly including the BAE Systems AN/ARC-231, L-3 Harris Technologies AN/PRC-117 and Iridium communications suite, were installed. The aircraft has been continuously deployed since October 2011 and currently support overseas contingency operations across four geographic combatant commands. The final example was delivered in 2017.

The C-146A that arrived at RAF Mildenhall was built in 1997 and delivered to Club Vuelos as HC-BXP in July that year. The following year it spent time with the British operator Suckling Airways as D-CHIC and then Air Engardina as HB-AEJ, remaining with that airline until joining Air Switzerland with the same identity in July 2002. From the end of February 2003 the Do 328-110 flew with Cirrus Airlines as D-CIRA. It was acquired at the end of 2011 by the Sierra Nevada Corporation for the Wolfhound programme and was taken on charge by the US Air Force on 7 May 2012.

In late 2019 it was reported that AFSOCOM had expressed interest in finding a replacement for the C-146A, but as of late 2024 no official programme has been reported. All C-146As currently remain in service, with the majority assigned to the 524th SOS based at Duke Field, Florida. The squadron has been assigned to the 492nd Special Operations Group (SOG) since 1 June 2017, having previously been under the 27th SOG.

The baseline aircraft is due to re-enter production as the Deutsche Aircraft D328eco, with a new final assembly line being established at Leipzig/Halle Airport. A prototype is expected to fly in the fourth quarter of 2025 and the aircraft is due to be ready for “market by 2027”, according to the company.