The Republic of China Navy (RoCN) is to P-3 Orion: in operational service for 50 years receive its first P-3C Orions in 2013. Their first aircraft, here seen
Second life on with temporary USN markings, successfully completed its first test flight in late July 2012. brandnew wings It’s the first time a new operator is receiving By Marco P.J. Borst refurbished secondhand Orions with new wings. Fifty years ago, on 13 August 1962, Kiwi pioneers (photo: Colin Clark) the Lockheed P3V-1 Orion was The P-3 Orion’s limitations were in the taken in use for operational service aircraft’s structure components like its by US Navy Patrol Squadron Eight wings and horizontal stabilizers, which (VP-8). While the US Navy is were affected by fatigue stress and preparing for the operational corrosion after 20-25 years of introduction of the Orion’s intensive use. These potential successor, other P-3 operators are problems had already been investing in life extension programs recognized by the Royal New Zealand for their existing or new P-3 fleets. Air Force in the nineties. Intensively They are to continue the success flying a fleet of 1966 built P-3 Orions, story of the Mighty Orion. the RNZAF launched a fatigue
analysis program in 1993. The results Since its introduction in 1962, the P-3 of this program were remarkable: Orion mission systems suite has where USN P-3s were retired at a constantly been improved. Today, the fatigue life index between 60 and 80 USN’s P-3C AIP+ with the latest on a scale of 100, the New Zealand additions such as C4ASW wich Orions were found to be at a fatigue incorporates the International Marine / life index of 135 already! Since New
Maritime Satellite (INMARSAT) and Zealand did not have the funds to Link 16 Line of Sight and Over the replace its fleet of six P-3K Orions with Horizon, features state-of-the-art new aircraft, other options were mission equipment. The operational investigated. This lead to a service life capabilities of today’s P-3 are more or extension program, known as "Project less equal to those of its replacement Kestrel", which started in 1997 when in the US Navy, the Boeing P-8A aircraft NZ4204 arrived at the Celsius
Poseidon. Hawker Pacific facility at Richmond,
P-3 Wing production at Lockheed’s Burbank facility in 1967. The same tooling is now being used to build new outer wings in Marietta.
(photo: Lockheed Martin)
Australia. Under "Kestrel" the outer The pioneer for a Lockheed Martin wings, horizontal stabilizer and center program which started in February wing lower panels were replaced. 2007, ten years after the start of Furthermore, the engine nacelles were Project Kestrel. Before that, in refurbished, new electrical wiring in the December 2001, Lockheed Martin and wings was installed and a fuel dump Vought Aircraft Industries teamed up capability was added. The new outer with plans for the production of new P- wings were built by Daewoo Heavy 3 outer wings in Dallas (TX). Assembly Industries in Changwon, South Korea, and detail tooling was relocated from the company that was initially Changwon, Korea to Dallas but contracted to manufacture the wings despite the success story of replacing for eight P-3C Orions built for the the wings of P-3K Orions in New Korean navy. Daewoo, under contract Zealand, Vought did not build any P-3 by Lockheed Martin, made use of the wings. But Lockheed Martin did not original wing production tooling which give up its plans. All wing tooling was was used at Lockheed’s Burbank refurbished by Pioneer in Texas under facility until 1977, when tools were a contract from Lockheed Martin. The moved to Canadair in Canada where outer wing production plan was put the production of P-3 wings started in before a Lockheed Martin Strategic 1978. Canadair continued to Sourcing Board which then decided to manufacture P-3 wings until 1990. On in-source the wing production to 10 October 1998 the first "Kestrel" Marietta, GA. The tools were aircraft succesfully completed test relocated again, this time to Marietta. flying and it was soon returned in All tools were completely refurbished, operational service. The project was modernized and re-mastered upon completed in 2001 and added another setup and where economically 25 years to the P-3K Orion's technical feasible, new tools were made to take life time. advantage of modern manufacturing practices. In addition modern New P-3 wing production production technologies and lessons
Without realizing it, the RNZAF was learned were used from F-22 and C- 130J production programs. The which included re-winging. Where, in assembly line flow was re-configured New Zealand’s “Kestrel” program, the based on lean enterprise principles. In standard P-3C wings were used to re- November 2005, after extensive wing a fleet of P-3B airframes, the research during its Structural Life wings built for the current programs Assessment Program (SLAP), the are redesigned which resulted in company announced that it would improved corrosion resistance and open a P-3 wing production line at its fatigue life enhancements. The old Marietta (GA) facility. Fifteen months problems won’t come back within the later, in February 2007, Lockheed same time frame, so the life extension Martin announced the launching might easily be for a longer period customer for new P-3 wings: the than the 20-25 years Lockheed Martin government of Norway signed a is advertising with. contract to buy new wings for the six Royal Norwegian Air Force P-3C and P-3: the affordable alternative P-3N Orions. It lasted until April 2008 Defence budgets in many countries before a second customer, the US are under pressure and we have Lockheed Martin is Customs and Border Protection, already seen some countries cutting manufacturing contracted with Lockheed Martin off their entire MPA capabilities. The brandnew P-3 ordering six all-new production wing Netherlands and the United Kingdom replacement wings at kits. To date, CBP has placed firm do not operate any Maritime Patrol its Marietta GA facility, using both the original orders for 14 life extension kits. A total Aircraft anymore. For The Netherlands tooling and new of 73 wing sets have been ordered by this was a final decision: the Royal technologies. five P-3 operators: Norway, US Netherlands Navy will never operate Installation of the new Customs and Border Protection, US any manned MPA’s anymore. The UK wings is being done by Navy, Canada and Taiwan. The latter still seems to be looking for Lockheed Martin in Greenville SC, IMP is about to introduce the P-3C Orion replacements for their Nimrods, but a Aerospace in Halifax as a replacement for the Republic of tight budget prevents the British (Canada) and the China Navy’s S-2T Trackers. Their first government from buying new MPA’s. USN’s FRCS at NAS of twelve secondhand Orions recently Re-winged and upgraded P-3 Orions Jacksonville. left the Lockheed Martin Greenville from desert storage might be an (photo: Lockheed facility after a complete modernization affordable solution for the Royal Air Martin)
Force. And other existing P-3 More improvements operators, like Greece, Portugal, Additional existing programs, like Spain, Germany and even Australia fitting glass cockpits, as well as new (which now is showing interest in the programs under development can P-8A) might be looking at buying new further rejuvenate the old lady and wings for their existing Orion fleets make her ready for a few more since their national defence budgets decades of patrolling both over seas will most likely never bring the and over land. Lockheed Martin is purchase of Boeing P-8A Poseidons currently working on the introduction of within reach. Not alone the purchase winglets and engine modifications for of a fleet of P-8’s is highly expensive, lower fuel consumption, increased additional costs of flight and electrical power generation and bomb maintenance crew training, tooling, bay mounted supplemental cooling ground equipment and to improve systems for mission systems avionics. infrastructure of airfields cannot Even after 50 years of successful compare to the costs of continued operation, the Lockheed Martin P-3 operation with an existing fleet of P-3 Orion still is the world’s martime patrol Orions fitted with new wings and new workhorse and will continue to work on mission suites.. the frontlines for decades to come
One of Norway’s P-3N Orions is receiving its new wings at IMP Aerospace in Halifax, Canada.The airframe is over 40 years old, the new wings add another 20 years life time
(photo: IMP)
wing sets wing sets Customer ordered delivered
Norway 6 4 Canada 10 6 US Customs 14 7 US Navy 31 18 Taiwan 12 7
total 73 42
As of August 2012