Wed, Jan 25, 2012
Airplane For Border Patrol Enters Service Two Months Ahead Of
Schedule
The fourth P-3 Orion with new Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU)
modifications has been delivered to U.S. Customs and Border
Protection two months ahead of schedule, according to prime
contractor Lockheed Martin.
CBP P-3 File Image
The MLU installation and phase depot maintenance (PDM) were
accomplished in record time of 11 months at Lockheed Martin's
Greenville facility. "I am very proud of the Lockheed Martin
team in Greenville for demonstrating that we can provide
significant value with our OEM knowledge, high quality work and our
commitment to meeting our customer's delivery schedule," said Ray
Burick, vice president for P-3 Programs and Greenville
Operations.
This is the fourth MLU P-3 delivery to CBP in 18 months. It
joins the CBP P-3 MLU fleet that supports homeland security and
drug interdiction missions. In FY 2011, CBP Office of Air and
Marine (OAM) P-3 aircraft provided more than 34 percent of total
Joint Interagency Task Force South air mission on-station hours.
CBP P-3 aircraft were directly involved in the interdiction of more
than 153,000 pounds of drugs seized or disrupted, representing 62
percent of JIATF-S seizures. The total estimated street value of
this contraband is over $1.8 billion. OAM P-3 aircrews participated
in the majority of self-propelled, semi-submersible intercepts by
JIATF-S.
"U.S. Customs and Border Protection missions are vital in
protecting and strengthening our nation's security," said John
Norris, Lockheed Martin P-3 CBP program manager. "Through a
strategic partnership, Lockheed Martin provides the U.S. Customs
and Border Protection team with affordable enhancements to keep its
P-3 Orion fleet operating at optimal performance levels for decades
to come."
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 than the original material,
greatly reducing the cost of ownership for P-3 operators. The MLU
solution 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.
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