Lockheed Opens Wing Production Line to Keep P-3 Orions Flying

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CP-140 Aurora(click to view full) There are over 500 maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft around the world, some 85% of which are P-3 Orions. In service with 15 countries (including India’s recent adoption), they have accumulated over 14 million flying hours performing a wide variety of missions. Including a surprising overland role in locations like Kosovo and Afghanistan. As DID has noted in its ongoing coverage of the P-3 platform and its upgrades, however, the Orions are near the end of their service life and require extensive efforts to keep them in the air. Some are over twice as old as the pilots flying them. Worse, P-3 Structural Life Assessment Program (SLAP) tests showed that their inherently punishing mission profiles were accumulating fatigue damage faster than previously believed. In order to keep the P-3s flying safely until replacement aircraft like the 737-based P-8 MMA become available, customers are making unusual efforts. Fortunately, Lockheed Martin is also taking steps. What to do until…(click to view article) The firm will open a new outer wing production line at its Marietta, GA facility supporting service life extension of the P-3 and CP-140 aircraft around the world. The kit includes the outer wing plus […]

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