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this page was last updated on 7 June 2011
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Pakistan Navy Orions destroyed in terrorist attack
(25may11) At least 10 members of Pakistan's
military were killed in a gun battle with Taliban militants at PNS Mehran in the coastal city of Karachi on Sunday 22 May
2011. The clashes raged for hours after attackers with guns and grenades
stormed the compound. By Monday afternoon, the base had "been cleared from
the terrorists," a Pakistani navy spokesman said. In addition to the 10
dead, at least 15 other Pakistani troops were wounded in the fighting,
Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik said. The attackers destroyed two P-3C Orion maritime
patrol aircraft (159883/84 and 159510/87), said Navy spokesman Commander Salman
Ali. One source reported that a third P-3C (164467/81) was heavily damaged,
most likely by gunfire, but this has not been confirmed yet.
The left picture shows four P-3C Orions
on the tarmac at PNS Mehran. A little left from the
center of the pic two T56 engines can be seen in the
center of the fire. This is believed to be the left hand wing of a P-3C. Behind
that aircraft is another P-3C. That one is dangerously close to the first
aircraft which is on fire. Two more P-3C Orions are
seen on the right. The front one of these might as well been damaged by the
fire. The right picture shows the sad remains of two P-3C Orions.
On the left the remains of the right hand T56 engines of an Orion are on the
ground. In the center of the picture are another two T56 engines, while on the
right side of the picture a left wing with two engines is still standing on the
main landing gear. The picture below gives a better view of the two wrecks a
few days after the attack.
Three USN P-3C Orions in historic paint schemes
(06jan11) The US Navy is currently in the
process of painting around 25 of its aircraft in historic paint schemes to celebrate the 100th anniversary of U.S. naval
aviation in 2011. Amongst these aircraft are three Lockheed Martin P-3C Orions. These aircraft, the first of which went into the paintshop at NAS Jacksonville today, will be painted in
three different schemes: “Seaplane Gray”,
“VP-44 Strawberry 5” and “EP-3 Legacy”. Capt. Richard Dann
designed a majority of the paint schemes, while working with the various wings
and squadrons to come up with a final design. Some of the paint jobs may get some quizzical looks
from military aircraft enthusiasts. Dann said there will be helicopters painted
in 1914, 1950s and Vietnam-era camouflage patterns. Jet planes, from T-45
trainers to F/A-18 fighters, will sport the colorful schemes that adorned Navy
planes shortly before World War II. Several types of aircraft in the USN
inventory are already flying around in their historic paint schemes, but the Orions are still in the works. The “VP-44 Strawberry 5” paint scheme is meant to replicate that of the VP-44 PBY that
located the Japanese Fleet prior to the Battle of Midway. The “EP-3 Legacy” aircraft will be a regular P-3C painted in
the original EP-3B "Bat Rack" scheme (white over black). The USN
wanted to pay tribute to the EP-3 heritage without actually doing an EP-3 since
they are deployable assets. To minimize the
impact on operational squadrons, many of the chosen aircraft are from training
and reserve squadrons and are being painted during their regular repainting
schedules. BuNos of the three Orions
involved in this unique project are (photos left to right):158206 “EP-3
Legacy”, 160770 “Seaplane Gray” and 161591 “Strawberry 5”.
Republic of China Navy’s Orions
in the works
(06jan11) The Republic of China Navy obtained
12 P-3C aircraft under the U.S. government’s Foreign Military Sales program in
2007. Starting from January 2010, the
aircraft are taken from desert storage at Davis Monthan
AFB and transported to Lockheed Martin’s Greenville, SC facility by road to be
completely overhauled and modernized. Upgrades will include new mission system
avionics and service life extension kits to extend the aircrafts’ service life
for an additional 15,000 flight hours. Planned mission system upgrades include
installation of electronic support measures, acoustics, communications,
electro-optic and infrared systems, and new data management software and
hardware, controls, displays and mission computers. The service life extension
kits include new outer wings, center wing lower surfaces, horizontal
stabilizers, horizontal stabilizer leading edges and nacelle components. The
first modernized Republic of China Navy P-3C aircraft will be delivered in
2012. The aircraft will be operated by the Republic of China Navy’s 133sqn and
134sqn and will get local military tail numbers 3301 thru 3315 (with the
exception of 3304 and 3314 as the “4” is not being used in Taiwan).
Customs and Border
Protection orders two additional P-3 MLU kits
(20dec10) Lockheed Martin recently received an
order for two additional P-3 Orion Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) kits from U.S.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The order brings the total number of CBP
P-3s on contract to receive the MLU to 11 with an option for five additional
kits in 2011. "This award reinforces CBP's support of our proven,
cost-effective solution for providing the P-3 fleet with 20-plus years of added
operational capability," said Ray Burick,
Lockheed Martin P-3 Programs and Greenville Operations vice president.
"CBP has been a forward thinking partner in our MLU program, and we look
forward to strengthening this relationship.." CBP will receive up to 16
upgraded P-3s for deliveries planned through 2015. It received the first fully
upgraded P-3 Orion in July 2010. The new order brings the total program to 56
kits, including orders from CBP, the U.S. Navy and international customers.
Lockheed Martin's P-3 MLU program provides a technically proven, low-risk,
cost-effective solution for replacing the aircraft's outer wings, center wing
lower surface and horizontal stabilizer with new production components. The MLU
replaces all fatigue-life-limiting structure with enhanced-design components
and incorporates a new metal alloy that is five times more corrosion resistant,
greatly reducing the cost of ownership for P-3 operators. The MLU solution
removes current aircraft flight restrictions and extends the structural service
life of the P-3 up to 15,000 hours, adding about 20 years of operational use.
Singapore shows interest in
P-3 Orions
(15dec10) Singapore has shown an interest in
possibly acquiring several of the US Navy's surplus P-3C Orion maritime patrol
aircraft, according to the type's former manufacturer, Lockheed Martin.
"They have issued a letter of request to look at P-3s," says Mark
Jarvis, Lockheed's director, design and production for P-3 programmes.
Singapore's interest could be for around four or five aircraft, he believes,
with these to perhaps draw on the configuration of the 12 secondhand Orions due to be delivered to Taiwan from 2012. Singapore -
which currently operates five Fokker 50 maritime patrol aircraft - could
potentially acquire surplus Orions as the US Navy
begins to transition to its replacement, the Boeing 737-based P-8A Poseidon.
Jarvis says the service could fly some of its aircraft to Lockheed's Greenville
site in South Carolina to undergo overhaul and modernisation
prior to their future delivery to third parties.
Third Orion replacement test
bird flies
(03aug10) Boeing’s P-8A Poseidon aircraft T3
successfully completed its first flight test in Seattle on July 29. T3 is the
P-8A program's mission-system and weapon-certification aircraft. During the
two-hour and 48-minute flight from Boeing Field, Boeing, and U.S. Navy test
pilots performed airborne systems checks including engine accelerations and
decelerations, autopilot flight modes, and auxiliary power unit and engine
shutdowns and starts. In the coming weeks, T3 will join the two P-8A test
aircraft currently at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., and complete
additional ground and flight tests. "At Pax
River, the Boeing and Navy team will use 
some of the ground test data we've gathered in
Seattle for in-flight separation and delivery accuracy tests that will occur
later this year," said Chris Ahsmann, P-8A chief
engineer for Boeing. T3 is one of six flight-test aircraft that are being
assembled and tested as part of the U.S. Navy System Development and
Demonstration contract Boeing received in 2004. Airworthiness-test aircraft T1
entered flight test in October 2009 and arrived at the Navy's Patuxent River
facility in April of this year. T2, the primary mission-system test aircraft,
arrived at Pax River in June. The Navy plans to
purchase 117 P-8A anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft to replace its P-3 fleet. Initial
operational capability is planned for 2013.
First set of new CP-140
Aurora wings delivered
(28jul10) Lockheed Martin delivered the first
of 10 new Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) outer wings on July 28 for installation on a
CP-140 Aurora for the Government of Canada. These wings will be installed by
IMP Aerospace, a Lockheed Martin P-3 service center located in Halifax, Nova
Scotia. Canada operates a fleet of 18 CP-140 Aurora aircraft playing a critical
role in search and rescue, littoral/overland surveillance, economic zone and
shipping lane protection, submarine detection and anti-terrorism. The aircraft
are based on the P-3 Orion airframe. The MLU program replaces the outer wings,
center wing lower surface, horizontal stabilizer and horizontal stabilizer
leading edges with all new material. All necessary fatigue-life limiting
structure is replaced and new alloys are used with a five-fold increase in
corrosion resistance to provide significantly reduced maintenance and
sustainment costs. The MLU will extend the structural service life of the
CP-140 up to 15,000 hours and adds 20 years of operational use. "The Government of Canada's MLU program
reinforces our commitment to support the CP-140s for the long-term," said
Ray Burick, Lockheed Martin P-3 Program vice
president. "We are also proud to partner with IMP Aerospace for the
installation of the MLU on the Auroras." "As Canada's CP-140 In Service
Support contractor, IMP is very pleased to continue our long-term partnership
with Lockheed Martin, while upgrading this critical and strategic fleet for the
Canadian Forces," said David Gossen, president
of IMP Aerospace. The all-new production wings are the cornerstone of the P-3
MLU program. Lockheed Martin has 52 MLU kits under contract with six operators
from four nations. To date, a total of nine MLU kits have been delivered to the
U.S. Navy, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Norway, Canada and Taiwan.
First Mid-Life Update P-3
delivered
(13jul10) The first Lockheed Martin P-3 Orion
with new Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) enhancements was delivered to U.S. Customs and
Border Protection officials in ceremonies a Greenville SC today. The newly
re-winged P-3 will soon make its first flight and will immediately be a
game-changer for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. This aircraft is the first
of many that will benefit with increased availability and reliability for
critical homeland security missions. "The P-3 Orion is unsurpassed in its
flexibility in maritime patrol and reconnaissance," said Ralph Heath,
president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. "The Mid-Life Upgrade will
ensure this national asset continues to provide second-to-none service for the
next 20 years." Lockheed Martin's P-3 MLU program provides a technically
proven, low-risk, cost-effective solution replacing the aircraft outer wings,
center wing lower surface and horizontal stabilizer with new production
components. U.S. Customs and Border Protection will receive up to 14 upgraded
P-3s for deliveries planned through 2015. This first CBP MLU aircraft was
completed in 14 months. To date, Lockheed Martin has 52 MLU kits under contract
with six operators from four nations. "We are excited about our
partnership with Customs and Border Protection," said Ray Burick, Lockheed Martin P-3 Programs vice president,
"and we are committed to providing them with modernization enhancements to
sustain the P-3 for decades to come. The MLU integrates well with our 10-year
site and depot P-3 Fleet Maintenance Program, now underway with CBP." The
MLU replaces all fatigue-life limiting structure with enhanced-design
components and incorporates a new metal alloy that is five times more corrosion
resistant, greatly reducing the cost of ownership for P-3 Operators. The MLU
removes current aircraft flight restrictions and extends the structural service
life of the P-3 up to 15,000 hours and adds 20 years of operational use. P-3
Orion is the standard for maritime patrol and reconnaissance, and is used for
homeland security, hurricane reconnaissance, anti-piracy operations,
humanitarian relief, search and rescue, intelligence gathering, antisubmarine
warfare and, recently, to assist in air traffic control and data gathering over
the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Previously published news items are kept in our news archive
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