P-3C Orion

The P-3 Orion is a four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. The P-3 Orion is a peerless airborne hunter. Its reputation as the ultimate submarine finder was earned through nearly 50 years of service, from the Cuban Missile Crisis to round-the-clock patrols throughout the Cold War. Uniquely suited as the world’s premier multi-mission maritime long-endurance aircraft, the P-3 performs air, surface and subsurface patrol and reconnaissance tasks over extended periods and far from support facilities. Recently, the P-3 provided support for Operation Unified Assistance in Southeast Asia, Hurricane Katrina, Operation Atalanta in the Gulf of Aden, and the BP Horizon oil rig disaster in the U.S. No other aircraft is better suited for these missions, and Lockheed Martin’s P-3 Mid-Life Upgrade Program will help ensure the P-3 is mission ready for decades to come. The P-3 Orion has been the U.S. Navy's frontline, land-based maritime patrol aircraft since the 1960s. The most capable Orion version is the P-3C, first delivered to the Navy in 1969. The Navy implemented a number of major improvements to the P-3C (Updates I, II, II.5 and III) during its production run. P-3C aircraft communication, navigation, acoustic, non-acoustic and ordnance/weapon systems are still being modernized within several improvement programs to satisfy Navy and joint requirements through the early part of the 21st century. With 435 aircraft worldwide operated by 21 governments and agencies in 17 countries, the P-3 remains a relied-upon asset today. Time and time again, the P-3 proves that it is remarkably well adapted for maritime patrol and support.