这 洛克希德P-3猎户座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猎户座于1959年首飞,1962年在美国海军服役。它取代了由活塞发动机驱动的旧洛克希德P2V海王星和马丁P5M马林鱼飞机。多年来,P-3猎户座经历了几次升级和修改,增强了其电子设备和能力。它可以携带导弹、鱼雷、炸弹、声纳浮标和其他用于探测和攻击水面和水下目标的设备。
这 P-3 Orionis 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.