Fri, Apr 29, 2011
Service Life Extended Up To 15,000 Hours
The second P-3 Orion with new Mid-Life Upgrade enhancements has
been delivered to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) by
Lockheed Martin. This newly re-winged P-3 joins CBP's first
upgraded Orion, which is currently operational. These aircraft
support the critical missions of interdicting and preventing acts
of terrorism, and the unlawful movement of people, illegal drugs
and other contraband toward or across the borders of the United
States.
File Photo
"We are proud of the partnership we have with U.S. Customs and
Border Protection and are committed to providing them a
cost-effective solution to maintain and sustain their P-3s for
decades to come," said Ray Burick, Lockheed Martin P-3 Programs and
Greenville Operations vice president.
Lockheed Martin's P-3 MLU program provides a technically proven,
low risk solution by replacing the aircraft outer wings, center
wing lower surface and horizontal stabilizer with new production
components. The MLU replaces all fatigue-life limiting structures
with enhanced-design components and incorporates a new metal alloy
that is five times more corrosion resistant, greatly reducing the
cost of ownership for P-3 operators. The MLU removes current
aircraft flight restrictions and extends the structural service
life of the P-3 up to 15,000 hours, adding more than 20 years of
operational use.
File Photo
P-3 Orion is the standard for maritime patrol and
reconnaissance, and is used for homeland security, hurricane
reconnaissance, anti-piracy operations, humanitarian relief, search
and rescue, intelligence gathering and antisubmarine warfare. P-3s
were used to assist in air traffic control and data gathering over
the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
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