P-3C Orion
Description: Four-engine
turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance
aircraft.
Features: Originally
designed as a land-based, long-range, anti-submarine
warfare (ASW) patrol aircraft, the P-3C's mission has
evolved in the late 1990s and early 21st century to
include surveillance of the battlespace, either at sea or
over land. Its long range and long loiter time have
proved invaluable assets during Operation Iraqi
Freedom as it can view the battlespace and
instantaneously provide that information to ground
troops, especially U.S. Marines.
The P-3C has advanced submarine
detection sensors such as directional frequency and
ranging (DIFAR) sonobuoys and magnetic anomaly detection
(MAD) equipment. The avionics system is integrated by a
general purpose digital computer that supports all of the
tactical displays, monitors and automatically launches
ordnance and provides flight information to the pilots.
In addition, the system coordinates navigation
information and accepts sensor data inputs for tactical
display and storage. The P-3C can carry a mixed payload
of weapons internally and on wing pylons.
Background: In February
1959, the Navy awarded Lockheed a contract to develop a
replacement for the aging P2V Neptune. The P3V Orion,
derived from Lockheed's successful L188 Electra
airliner, entered the inventory in July 1962, and more
than 30 years later it remains the Navy's sole land-based
antisubmarine warfare aircraft. It has gone through one
designation change (P3V to P-3) and three major models:
P-3A, P-3B, and P-3C, the latter being the only one now
in active service. The last Navy P-3 came off the
production line at the Lockheed plant in April 1990.
Point of Contact:
Naval Air Systems Command
Public Affairs Department
47123 Buse Road, Unit IPT
Bldg. 2272, Suite 075
Patuxent River, MD 20670-5440
(301)757-1487
General Characteristics
Primary Function: Antisubmarine
warfare(ASW)/Antisurface warfare (ASUW)
Contractor: Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems
Company
Unit Cost: $36 million
Propulsion: Four Allison T-56-A-14 turboprop
engines (4,900 shaft horsepower each)
Length: 116 feet 7 inches (35.57 meters)
Wingspan: 99 feet 6 inches (30.36 meters)
Height: 33 feet 7 inches (10.27 meters)
Weight: Max gross take-off: 139,760 pounds
(63,394.1 kg)
Speed: maximum - 411 knots (466 mph, 745 kmph);
cruise - 328 knots (403 mph, 644 kmph)
Ceiling: 28,300 feet (8,625.84 meters)
Range:Maximum mission range - 2,380 nautical miles
(2,738.9 miles);
for three hours on station at 1,500 feet - 1,346 nautical
miles (1,548.97 miles)
Crew: 11
Armament: 20,000 pounds (9 metric tons) of
ordnance including:Harpoon AGM-84D cruise missile, SLAM
missiles, Maverich AGM65 air-to-ground missiles, MK-46/50
torpedoes, rockets, mines, depth bombs, and special
weapons
Date Deployed: First flight, November 1959;
Operational, P-3A August 1962 and P-3C August 1969
(credits: US Navy)