P-3 Orion
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Categories: Active United States military aircraft | Aircraft of Pakistan | Lockheed Corporation | Signals intelligence | United States patrol aircraft 1950-1959
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is an American maritime patrol aircraft used by numerous militaries around the world, primarily for maritime patrol, reconnaissance, and anti-submarine warfare.
DesignThe P-3 Orion, originally designated P3V, is based on the same design philosophy as the Lockheed L-188 Electra. It is structurally not the same plane. It had seven feet of fuselage removed from forward the wings, as well as a myriad of internal, external, and airframe production technique enhancements. It served as the replacement for the postwar era P-2 Neptune. The Orion is powered by four Allison T56 turboprops which give it a speed comparable to fast propeller powered fighters, or even slow turbofan jets such as the A-10. Many other countries have seen the value of this platform design and have developed similar patrol aircraft based on this model, with the Soviets adapting their own counterpart to the Orion. The P-3 also competes with the British Hawker Siddeley Nimrod adaptation of the de Havilland Comet and the French Breguet Atlantique. The P-3 has an internal bomb bay under the front fuselage which can house conventional and, or special (nuclear) weapons, as well as underwing stations, or pylons, which can carry various armament configurations including AGM-84 Harpoon, AGM-65 Maverick, MK-50 Barracuda, MK-46 torpedo, precision surface attack AGM-12 Bullpup guided missile, 5 in (12.7cm)Zunni, and various other mines, missiles, and gravity bombs. Image:P-3A VP-49 1964.jpg
P-3A of VP-49 in the original blue/white colours
The first production version, designated P3V-1, first flew 15 April 1961, but by the time the first deliveries were made in 1962, the unified designation system made this the P-3. Paint schemes have changed from overall postwar blue, to 1960s white and grey, and 1980s low viz gray. Over the years more than 40 combatant & non combatant variants have been developed due to the rugged reliability displayed by the platform flying 12 hour plus missions 200 feet AGL over salt water while maintaining a excellent safety record. Versions have been developed for the NOAA for research and hurricane hunting/wall busting, Customs for drug interdiction missions, NASA for research and development. The CIA has several for aerial surveillance, and agent/leaflet delivery. Aerial surveillance with a rotodome adapted from the E-2 Hawkeye. The United States Navy's P-3s are slated for replacement between 2010–2013 by the P-8 Poseidon, based upon the Boeing 737 civilian aircraft. Operating the P-3Image:P3corion.jpg
Armed US P-3C Orion
Image:Kaneohe ROK and Canadian P-3s.jpg
MAD rear booms
Crew complement in U.S. serviceTen to twelve crew members.
The Combatant P-3’s, while not necessarily identical, share many basic characteristics. A passive, and active sonar system with supporting computers, acoustic processors, and recorders. Many types of sonobuoys can be fired from externally loaded tubes (P-3C and later) or from inside the fuselage into the water below. Once the buoy hits the water the transducer array deploys and the sound in the water is transmitted by the buoy up to the acoustic sensor operators’ station in the aircraft. The non acoustic operator (sensor 3) handles the radars, electronic support measures, infra red & optics turret, and the long 'stinger' in the tail which houses the magnetic anomaly detector (MAD), and convex windows for observation. All of this data is analyzed by the Aviation Warfare Systems Operators (AW’s, sensor operators) to determine the contact, or contacts, type, condition, spatial orientation, vector. They also handle certain types of communication. All of this data is sent to the Tactical Coordinator (TACCO). Other operators have a varying number of crew on board, depending on their equipment fitout and aircraft role. For example, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft do not have a dedicated Ordnancemen, with that role on the aircraft being supplied by spare crew members from any of the other categories. Also, the RAAF aircraft operate with an ESM operator (Sensor 4), a Sensor Employment Manager (SEM) and a second Flight Engineer (with no In-Flight technician) Image:Helice HS 54H60-77.JPG
Allison T56-A-14 prop
Engine loiter shutdownOn many missions, an engine is shut down (usually engine 1 - the port outer engine) once on station to conserve fuel and extend the time aloft (and range when at low level). On occasion, both outboard engines can be shut down, aircraft weight, weather, and remaining fuel permitting. Long border patrol missions can last over ten hours and may include extra pilots and crew. The record for a P-3 is a 21.5 hour flight undertaken by the Royal New Zealand Air Force's No. 5 Squadron in 1972. Engine 1 is the primary engine for three-engine loiter shutdown because it is the only one that does not have a generator, hence it is not needed for powering onboard electrical systems. Removing the exhaust stream from engine 1 also increases visibility from the primary observer stations on the port side of the aircraft. Operational SummaryImage:P-3B DN-SC-82-02246.JPEG
P-3B of VP-6 near Hawaii
While this article is too short to address all the contributions of the P-3, a short summary follows. The P-3 was born to the cold war. Primary mission to track and eliminate threatening ballistic and fast attack submarines in the event of war. Reconnaissance missions in international waters led to several occasions where Soviet fighters would ”bump” a P-3. On one occasion in the 1980’s the MIG and pilot did not survive the “bump” while trying to ward off a P-3 taking pictures of a Soviet fleet exercise. The P-3 lost more than 10 feet of its wing in the collision. The P-3 completed its mission and flew back to base.
In October 1962 P-3’s flew several blockade patrols.
In 1964 P-3’s started a variety of missions. Coastal patrols to stem the supply of materials to the Viet Cong by sea. Feet dry for several missions. During one a artillery shell passed through a P-3 without rendering it mission incapable. During a overland mission it is rumored that a P-3 shot down a MIG with Zuni’s. 
From 1963 to 1967 three P-3’s were painted black and modified on behalf of the CIA, to operate from Taiwan over and around China. While conducting several psywar, agent/leaflet drops, and reconnaissance missions one of the P-3’s are reputed to have shot down a Chinese MiG.
August 2nd, 1990 Iraq invaded Kuwait and was poised to strike Saudi Arabia. Within forty eight hours of the initial invasion of Kuwait P-3’s were the first American forces to arrive. One of these responding P-3’s was a prototype known as “Outlaw Hunter”. “Outlaw Hunter” was undergoing trials, in the Pacific, after being developed by the Navy’s Space & Naval Warfare Systems Command. It was testing a highly specialized OTH-T (over the horizon targeting system package) when it immediately responded. Within hours of the start of the coalition air campaign, “Outlaw Hunter” detected a large number of Iraqi patrol boats and naval vessels attempting to make a run from Basra & Umm Qasar to Iranian waters. “Outlaw Hunter” vectored in strike elements which attacked the flotilla near Bubiyan Island destroying 11 vessels and damaging scores more. During Desert Shield a P-3 using its advanced infra red imaging was able to detect a ship with painted out Iraqi markings under freshly painted, bogus, Egyptian markings trying to avoid detection. Several days before the Jan 7, 1991 Desert Storm the ISAR P-3 conducted coastal surveillance along Iraq and Kuwait to provide prestrike reconnaissance on military installations. Fifty-five of the one hundred and eight Iraqi vessels destroyed during the conflict were targeted by P-3. [1] Image:EP-3E DN-SD-07-09322.JPEG
EP-3E Aries II, 2006
In April 2001 an aerial collision between a United States Navy EP-3E Aries II, a signals reconnaissance version of the P-3C Orion, and a People's Liberation Army Navy J-8IIM fighter jet resulted in an international incident between the United States and China. The J-8IIM fighter crashed and its pilot was killed; the EP-3 made an emergency landing on Hainan and the crew and plane were detained by Chinese authorities. Civilian usesImage:Fox-firebase-aero union-N920AU-070904-02-24.jpg
Aero Union P-3A Orion taking off from Fox Field, Lancaster, California, to fight the North Fire.
A number of P-3s have been N-registered and are operated by civilian agencies. The United States Customs Service has a number of P-3A and P-3Bs used for maritime patrol. NOAA operates two WP-3D variants specially modified for hurricane research. One P-3B, N426NA, is used by NASA as an earth-science suborbital research platform for NASA, based at Goddard Space Flight Center's Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia. Aero Union, Inc., operates eight P-3As configured as air tankers, which are leased to the U.S. Forest Service, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and other agencies for firefighting use. A number of these were involved in the U.S. Forest Service airtanker scandal. The P-3's of the Royal New Zealand Air Force regularly participate in searches for missing or overdue boats. VariantsImage:P-3K 5Sqn NZ4203 1.jpg
RNZAF P-3KII in Antartica, 2006
Image:WP-3D.jpg
WP-3D Hurricane Hunters
Image:Lockheed Martin P3-C Orion l.jpg
P-3C of the German Navy
Image:P3C JMSDF.JPG
P-3C of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Image:CBP P-3 Orion.jpg
P-3AEW&C to track drug couriers
Image:Lockheed CP-140 Canada 140102 ETNG.jpg
Canadian CP-140 Aurora in June 2007
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
