US Navy retires last EP-3E Aries II spy plane after decades of intelligence gathering.

As reported by SeaPower on February 14, 2025, the U.S. Navy retired its last EP-3E Aries II electronic reconnaissance aircraft, ending its 55-year operational service. The final EP-3E was withdrawn in an informal ceremony on February 12, 2025, at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington. Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One (VQ-1), the last operational unit flying the EP-3E, concluded its operations with the aircraft’s final flight on February 13. The aircraft, Bureau Number (BuNo) 159893, was the last of 26 EP-3Es that entered service in 1970, providing signals intelligence and surveillance support to fleet and theater commanders.
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The EP-3E Aries II was a key asset in the U.S. Navy’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations, providing signals intelligence and real-time situational awareness to fleet and theater commanders for 55 years. (Picture source: Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron 1- VQ-1)

The EP-3E originated from conversions of P-3 Orion airframes, with ten P-3A Orions modified for electronic reconnaissance under the initial EP-3E program, replacing earlier EP-3B versions. Beginning in the 1990s, the Navy transitioned to a newer generation of EP-3Es based on the P-3C Orion, ultimately converting 17 aircraft to sustain an operational fleet of 12. Equipped with signals intelligence (SIGINT) systems, the EP-3E collected and analyzed electronic signals through sensitive receivers and high-gain dish antennas. The aircraft’s crew processed and integrated this intelligence with external data sources to provide situational awareness and support for operations, including the suppression of enemy air defenses, anti-air warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and anti-surface warfare.

The EP-3E Aries II, the Navy's only land-based reconnaissance aircraft estimated to cost around $36 million per unit, was designed for multi-intelligence reconnaissance missions. Powered by four Allison T-56-A-14 turboprop engines, the aircraft had a length of 35.54 meters, a wingspan of 30.33 meters, and a height of 10.24 meters. It had a maximum gross takeoff weight of 64,637 kilograms and could reach a service ceiling of 8,625 meters, with a maximum speed of 750 km/h. With a crew of 24, the aircraft was capable of operations exceeding 12 hours and had a range of over 4,407 kilometers.

The EP-3E was deployed in various operational areas, including the Mediterranean, the Middle East, the Caribbean, the Black Sea, and the South China Sea. The aircraft was involved in an incident on April 1, 2001, when a VQ-1 EP-3E collided with a Chinese J-8II fighter over the South China Sea. The incident resulted in the emergency landing of the EP-3E on China’s Hainan Island, leading to the detention of the crew and diplomatic negotiations between the United States and China. The aircraft was eventually disassembled and returned to the U.S., where it was reconstructed and resumed service.

The EP-3E is being replaced by a combination of platforms, including the MQ-4C Triton and the P-8A Poseidon. The Triton, an unmanned high-altitude, long-endurance UAV, provides intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, while the P-8A Poseidon is equipped with signals intelligence systems for detecting, geolocating, and classifying emissions. Some P-8 aircraft are configured with additional intelligence-gathering sensors, such as the AN/APS-154 Advanced Airborne Sensor. Boeing has also developed a modular multi-mission pod to further enhance the Poseidon's capabilities. The U.S. Navy has reduced its planned MQ-4C fleet from 70 to 27 aircraft due to concerns about survivability following the 2019 downing of a Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Demonstrator (BAMS-D) by an Iranian surface-to-air missile.

The EP-3E Aries II was a key asset in the U.S. Navy’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations, providing signals intelligence and real-time situational awareness to fleet and theater commanders for 55 years. Developed from converted P-3 Orion airframes, the aircraft was equipped with advanced electronic surveillance systems, including high-gain antennas and sensitive receivers, enabling the collection and analysis of electronic emissions from potential adversaries. Its deployment in critical regions such as the Mediterranean, Middle East, Black Sea, and South China Sea allowed the U.S. to monitor military activities, support operational planning, and contribute to mission areas including the suppression of enemy air defenses, anti-air warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and anti-surface warfare.

The EP-3E was deployed in various operational areas, including the Mediterranean, the Middle East, the Caribbean, the Black Sea, and the South China Sea. (Picture source: US Navy)