Mission
Four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft.
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.
Features
The P-3C is a land-based, long-range, anti-submarine warfare (ASW) patrol aircraft. It 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.
Specifications
Official Designation | P-3C Orion |
Primary Roles | Antisubmarine warfare(ASW)/Antisurface warfare (ASUW) |
National Origin | USA |
Original Contractor | Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems Company |
Operator | United States Navy, United States Customs Service |
Wingspan | 99 feet, 6 inches (30.36m) |
Length | 116 feet, 7 inches (35.57m) |
Height at Tail | 33 feet, 7 inches (10.27m) |
Armament | 20,000 pounds (9 metric tons) of ordnance including: Harpoon (AGM-84D) cruise missile, SLAM (AGM-84E) missiles, Maverick (AGM 65) air-to-ground missiles, MK-46/50 torpedoes, rockets, mines, depth bombs, and special weapons |
Engines | Four Allison T-56-A-14 turboprops |
Horsepower | 4,900 shp each |
Cruise Speed | 403 mph (644km/h) |
Max Speed | 466 mph (745km/h) |
Range | 2,380 nm |
Service Ceiling | 28,300 feet (8,625m) |
Operating Weight | Unknown |
Max Takeoff Weight | 139,760 pounds (63,394kg) |
Basic Crew | 11 |
Date Deployed | 1969 |
Total in Service | Unknown |