Germany to order MRO platforms for Orion base

15th June 2021 - 09:30 GMT | by The Shephard News Team

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German Navy P-3C. (Photo: Bundeswehr)

Despite plans to retire the P-3C Orion from German Navy service, the MoD is procuring MRO equipment to support the aircraft.

German defence procurement agency BAAINBw has opened a tender to replace MRO equipment for the P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft (MPA).

Work will be carried out for the German Navy at Cuxhaven, where P-3Cs are flown by Marinefliegergeschwader 3.

The deadline for bids is 5 July, according to a notice published on the official EU tenders portal.

The overall contract, divided into lots, comprises four articulated telescopic platforms (two of which must be air-transportable) and two scissor-lift work platforms.

BAIINBw will issue a contract with an undisclosed value to start in December 2021.

According to Shephard Defence Insight, the German Navy inventory includes a total of eight P-3Cs but new platforms will replace these, potentially five P-8A Poseidons or the Maritime Airborne Warfare System (aircraft that would be procured jointly with France).

Lockheed Martin embarked on a five-year upgrade of the German P-3C fleet in 2017, including modernisation of the mission computers on the maritime patrol aircraft.

However, in June 2020 the German MoD announced that the upgrade work on P-3Cs would be suspended due to higher-than-expected costs and technical problems.