Lockheed P-3 Orion - Bilder og Video

Den Lockheed P-3 Orion er et fire-motors turboprop anti-ubåt og maritime overvåkingsfly utviklet for US Navy og introdusert på 1960-tallet. Lockheed baserte det på L-188 Electra kommersielle passasjerfly. Flyet er lett å skille fra Electra av sin karakteristiske hale stinger eller "MAD Boom", som brukes til magnetisk deteksjon av ubåter.

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.
The P-3 Orion first flew in 1959 and entered service with the United States Navy in 1962. It replaced the older Lockheed P2V Neptune and Martin P5M Marlin aircraft that were powered by piston engines. The P-3 Orion has undergone several upgrades and modifications over the years, enhancing its electronics and capabilities. It can carry missiles, torpedoes, bombs, sonobuoys, and other equipment for detecting and attacking surface and underwater targets.
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.