WRITING 1 JOSÉ ANTONIO SÁNCHEZ NAVARRO

 The Lockheed P-3 ORION is an antisubmarine warfore aircraft

that was developed during the 1960’s from the Lockheed

Electra airliner ( four engined turbo propeller with a capacity for

around 95 passangers plus 6 crew members).

It is considered, even nowadays, the right platform to perform

duties related to antisubmarine warfore, maritime traffic control,

search and rescue, drugs trafficking control among other duties.

Initially the aircraft was thought of so as to find and destroy the

submarines from the former URSS.

Being a four engined aircraft with turbo propellers, makes it to

be a very efficient aerial platform so as to fly at very low

altitudes over the sea, with a very low fuel consump-

tion and with an outstanding autonomy ( around 8 to 14 flying

hours).

Among other impressive characteristics, we could mention the

fact of being able to fly with only two engi-

nes working ( the so called loiter flight), saving this way a lot of

fuel and gaining a lot of autonomy.

Without any doubt, it is a great warfore platform with a capacity

to transport a launch ( thanks to its bom-bay located in the

forward lower fuselage), bombs, torpedoes sonobuoys and

even missiles on its underwing stations.

A lot of Air Forces and Naval Forces, all over the world, have

been operating and presently do operate this air-craft

nowadays.

It’s gonna be an almost impossible duty to find a substi-tute for

this excellent antisubmarine and maritime patrol aircraft.

José Antonio Sánchez Navarro.