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.

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)

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