Lockheed P-3 Orion : Long-range maritime patrol, anti-submarine warfare and anti-shipping aircraft

Lockheed P-3 Orion

Militarymedia.net - The U.S. Navy has operated land-based P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft for anti-submarine and anti-shipping warfare, as well as for ground surveillance, reconnaissance, mine laying, drug prohibition logistics, threat simulation crew training and search and rescue missions.

Although developed to counter the threat of Soviet submarines, maritime patrol forces, whose size has greatly reduced since the end of the Cold War, found themselves in high demand in coastal warfare environments in the early 21st century. The current frontline version is the P-3C which equips 12 active squadrons and seven backup patrol squadrons, the P-3C entered service in Baseline form in 1969 and has been upgraded since going through various configuration updates. Modifications to their equipment have sharpened its capabilities. The Lockheed P-3 Orion currently operates in 15 countries.

The P-3C has an advanced range of sensors including the UYYS-1 acoustic sonobuoy processor and ALR-66 electronic surveillance system, plus magnetic anomaly detection equipment, and infre-red detection systems and search radars. Some aircraft are equipped with aps-137 imaging synthetic aperture radar that can display images of their targets.

Several upgrade programs have been undertaken on the P-3C to extend the life of the fuselage and to improve their range of missions and weaponry. The U.S. Navy is gradually upgrading most of the P-3C to the General Configuration Update III which will become fleet standard. The Anti-Surface Improvement Program (AIP) is planned for 146 P-3C and includes improvements in command, control, communication and intelligence, targeting and survival capabilities. New weapons like Maverick, SLAM and SLAM-ER give P-3 ground attack capabilities a strong stand-off. Orion can also carry Harpoon long-range anti-ship missiles.

The first AIP P-3C entered service in 1998. Twelve Ep-3E served in remote reconnaissance roles, equipped with the Avionics series of Aries II missions. The U.S. Navy's Special Project Unit flew a small number of P-3B and P-3C modified for tactical and strategic intelligence collection. P-3A/B serves in maritime patrol roles with Argentina, Greece, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Thailand while P-3C serves with Australia, Iran, the Netherlands, Norway, Japan, Pakistan and South Korea. Japan operates kawasaki-made 110 P-3Js while Canada has 18 CP-140 Auroras equipped with mission avionics different from the U.S. Navy's P-3C.

The U.S. Navy's Orion fleet will be replaced with the new Boeing P-8 Poseidon. Poseidon First started operations in 2012.