Lockheed P-3 Orion – Billeder & Video

Den Lockheed 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. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner. The aircraft is easily distinguished from the Electra by its distinctive tail stinger or “MAD Boom”, used for the magnetic detection of submarines.

Kilde: Lockheed P-3 Orion på Wikipedia

Den Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engine turboprop aircraft that was designed for maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare missions. It is derived from the Lockheed L-188 Electra, a commercial airliner that was not very successful due to the emergence of jet-powered competitors. The P-3 Orion has a distinctive tail boom that houses a magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) for locating submerged submarines. It also has a bomb bay and wing hardpoints for carrying various weapons and sensors.
P-3 Orion fløj første gang i 1959 og trådte i tjeneste i den amerikanske flåde i 1962. Det erstattede de ældre Lockheed P2V Neptun og Martin P5M Marlin fly, der blev drevet af stempelmotorer. P-3 Orion har gennemgået flere opgraderinger og modifikationer gennem årene, hvilket forbedrer dens elektronik og kapacitet. Det kan bære missiler, torpedoer, bomber, sonobuoys og andet udstyr til at opdage og angribe overflade- og undervandsmål.
Den P-3 Orion is still in active service with several navies and air forces around the world, despite being over 60 years old. It has proven to be a versatile and reliable platform for maritime surveillance, reconnaissance, anti-surface warfare, and anti-submarine warfare. It has also been used for other roles such as scientific research, environmental monitoring, drug interdiction, and humanitarian assistance. The P-3 Orion is expected to remain in operation until at least 2035, when it will be gradually replaced by newer aircraft such as the Boeing P-8 Poseidon.