P-3 Orion (United States)

The P-3C Orion is a maritime long-range patrol aircraft for anti-submarine warfare and patrol and surveillance missions. The P-3C has been developed by the American company Lockheed Martin based on the commercial Lockheed Electra Airliner airframe.

The Orion is used by many NATO countries to patrol above coastal area and against drugs smuggle. Orions are the "eyes" and "ears" of a fleet. The aircraft has many sensors en can be armored with missiles like the Harpoon and the MK50 torpedo.

Technical
Power Plant
The P-3 is equipped with 4 Allison T-56-A-14 turboprop engines (picture 1). These engine have a power of 4900 shp (each). The T56 has a 14-stage axial compressor which is driven by a 4-stage turbine. The gearbox has 2 stages. The combuster chamber is an can-annular type.

Picture 1

the Netherlands
The Royal Netherlands Navy had 13 P-3C orions from the type P-3C II. Eight of them have been sold to Germany and 4 to Portugal. The Dutch crew consists of a: pilot, co-pilot, 2 board equipment experts, 1 tactical coordinator, 1 navigation/communication coordinator, 2 underwatersensor-operators, 1 non-acoustic sensor-operator and a aircraft board electrotechnician. During flight, normally engine No.1 was shut down to save fuel and put into the flight fine pitch.

The Dutch Orions were stationed on Valkenburg Naval Air Station - a unknown number on a air base in Iceland and the Dutch Antilles.
The Orions which were stationed on the Dutch Antilles have temporally been replaced by 2 converted Fokker 60 airplanes (after conversion designated as Fokker 60 MPA) from the Royal Netherlands Air Force. Today there are replaced by 2 Dash 8 aircraft from the Dutch Coast Guard.

Canada
Canada has a special P-3C Orion version; the CP-140 Aurora. This is the replacer of 30 Argus aircraft. In the beginning, Canada has bought 17 Aurora's.

Germany
Germany (Navy) has bought 8 P-3C II orion airplanes from the Royal Netherlands Navy in 2004.

United States
The US Navy has P-3C Orion version III airplanes. In march 1981 started Update III. After this came the Update III Anti-Surface Warfare Improvement Program [AIP]. This foresees the aircraft with C3I systems and more survive chance and introduces also the ability for infra red Maverick missiles.

An important update in the cockpit is the Electronic Flight Display System (EFDS) which has replaced all analog displays and also introduced GPS. The actioradius is 12 hours without aerial refueling.