| Lockheed P-3 Orion
|
P-3 Orion of the US Navy
|
| Description
|
| Role | Antisubmarine warfare(ASW)/Antisurface warfare (ASuW)
|
| Crew | 11
|
| First Flight | 1959
|
| Entered Service | 1962
|
| Manufacturer | Lockheed
|
| Dimensions
|
| Length | 116 ft 7 in | 35.57 m
|
| Wingspan | 99 ft 6 in | 30.36 m
|
| Height | 33 ft 7 in | 10.27 m
|
| Wing area | 1,300 ft² | 120.8 m²
|
| Weights
|
| Empty | 61,491 lb | 27,892 kg
|
| Loaded | lb | kg
|
| Maximum takeoff | 139,760 lb | 63,390 kg
|
| Powerplant
|
| Engines | 4 × Allison T-56-A-14 turboprops
|
| Power | 4,900 hp | 3,700 kW
|
| Performance
|
| Maximum speed | 466 mph | 745 km/h
|
| Combat range | 2,738.9 mi | 4,408 km
|
| Ferry range | 5,562 mi | 8,950 km
|
| Service ceiling | 28,300 ft | 8,600 m
|
| Rate of climb | 3,140 ft/min | 957 m/min
|
| Avionics
|
| Avionics |
|
| Armament
|
| Bombs | 20,000 lb | 9,000 kg
|
| Missiles | AGM-84 Harpoon
AGM-84E SLAM
AGM-65 Maverick
|
| Rockets |
|
| Other | MK-46, MK-50 torpedoes
Mines
Depth charges
|
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a patrol aircraft of the United States military used primarily for anti-submarine warfare.
The P-3 Orion is based on the Lockheed L-188 Electra. 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.
Over the years, many variants have been developed.
The P-3 Orion has found special use as an earth-science suborbital research platform for NASA. Known as callsign; NASA 426, this aircraft is located at Goddard Space Flight Center's Wallops Island Flight Facility , Virginia.
The P-3 is slated for replacement between 2010-2013 by the Boeing MMA, based upon their 737 civilian aircraft. Australia is considering a navalized version of the Global Hawk as a replacement.
Variants
- P-3A: original production version; 157 built
- P-3A (CS): four with better radar, for US Customs
- EP-3A: seven modified for electronic reconnaissance testing
- NP-3A: three modified for US Naval Research Laboratory
- RP-3A: two modified for scientific uses, for Oceanographic Development Squadron at NAS Patuxent River
- TP-3A: 12 modified for training, ASW gear removed
- UP-3A: 38 used as utility transports, ASW gear removed
- VP-3A: three WP-3As and two P-3As converted into VIP/staff transports
- WP-3A: four converted for weather reconnaissance
- P-3B
- EP-3B
- NP-3B
- P-3C
- Update I
- Update II
- Update II.5
- Update III
- Update IV
- AP-3C upgrade (Royal
Australian Air Force)