FIDAE 2016: Breathing new life into Orions
Lacking the funds to purchase new and bespoke maritime patrol aircraft, two Latin American militaries are looking to extend the life of their current fleet of legacy Lockheed Martin P-3 Orion aircraft.
Chile and Brazil have operated the sub-hunting aircraft for a number of years now and, not wanting to lose the vital capability offered by the P-3, are in the process of upgrading.
The Chilean Navy has already contracted Lockheed Martin to upgrade its fleet of two P-3s, as part of a mid-life upgrade (MLU) package, which involves refitting the aircraft with a new centre wing section and outer
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