Lockheed restarts P-3 Orion wing production line
Lockheed Martin restarted the wing production line for the Canadian and Chilean P-3 Orion Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) programme on 4 March.
The wing line for the P-3 Orion aircraft was last in production in August 2014. According to the company, the gap in production extended the opportunities for global operators to assess their fleet needs.
The MLU programme will see the replacement of the centre wing, outer wings, horizontal stabiliser and the leading edges of the horizontal stabiliser. All the necessary fatigue life-limiting structures will be replaced for lower sustainment and maintenance costs. New alloys will be used to provide five times greater corrosion resistance.
The P-3 Orion aircraft is used for maritime intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, drug interdiction, hurricane hunting, fire-fighting and anti-submarine surveillance. The MLU will see it operational for 20-25 more years. The US Navy, Norway and the US Customs and Border Protection are other operators of this aircraft.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![How Canada plans to use the River-class programme to revitalise its defence industry]()
How Canada plans to use the River-class programme to revitalise its defence industry
The Canadian DND estimates that the construction of destroyers will annually inject C$720 million (US$515 million) into the country’s GDP.
-
![The FDI frigate: a growing success story with more opportunities to come]()
The FDI frigate: a growing success story with more opportunities to come
Designed as a multi-role frigate with both anti-submarine and air defence capabilities, Naval Group’s medium-sized FDI frigate increasingly stands out as a success story in an industry wrought with delays.
-
![US weighs offshore warship production due to industrial limits]()
US weighs offshore warship production due to industrial limits
A Pentagon push to procure warships from Japanese and South Korean shipyards could reshape allied naval industrial strategy, but critics warn the approach risks hollowing out the domestic base Washington is seeking to restore.
-
![Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA]()
Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA
The accelerated delivery of the final Flight IIA destroyer, USS Patrick Gallagher, showcases the payoff of years of workforce investment and process reform at Bath Iron Works, with the lessons feeding into Flight III production.
