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| Prior to the arrival of the Orions in 1988 the Portuguese Air Force did not have any maritime patrol aircraft in its inventory. Search and Rescue or coastal patrol missions were conducted with C-130 Hercules or CASA 212 Aviocars. The Portuguese government recognized the lack of a maritime patrol platform and ordered six former Royal Australian Air Force P-3B Orions from Lockheed in 1985. These aircraft were traded in by the RAAF when the latter purchased ten brand new P-3C Orions. Mid October 1985 the first two Orions were ferried from RAAF Edinburgh to Montijo AB in Portugal. Almost immediately these aircraft were taken in use for flight crew training. Lockheed instructors were responsible for the early training courses. In the meantime Lockheed at Burbank was modifying one of the P-3B Orions to a new standard to meet the Portuguese requirements.
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It was not before March 1986 that the current Orion-squadron was established and the first so-called P-3P Orion arrived at the squadron in August 1988. Only one of the six aircraft was modified by Lockheed. The other five were reworked at the Oficinas Gerais de Material Aeronautico (OGMA) facilities at Alverca AB in Portugal. Operational training of mission crews was supervised by Lockheed instructors and took one and a half year. In mid 1989 Esquadra 601 reached the operational status with the P-3P: Portugal was back in the maritime patrol business.
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The Portuguese Air Force had the intention of performing a capabilities improvement program for its six P-3P aircraft, in addition to a 25 year extension program of the aircraft's service life. The program, designated LECIP (Life Extension and Capabilities Inprovement Program) was divided into two sub-programs: Life Extension and Mission Systems Update. Under the Life Extension program airframe structural components and systems identified as having potential for significant impact on future aircraft availability due to excessive time/cost to repair are likely to be replaced. |
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Structural improvements would have included replacement of the wings and stabilizers along the lines of the RNZAF "Kestrel" project. OGMA and Lockheed Martin signed a Memorandum of Understanding in connection with LECIP on 29 March 2000, but early 2002 the plans for LECIP were frozen. In December 2003 Portugal negotiated the possible purchase of Dutch P-3C Orions as a replacement for LECIP but after a review of the options the Portuguese parliament approved LECIP in July 2004. However, shortly after this decision LECIP was terminated in favour of the purchase of five RNLN P-3C Orions. A Letter of Intent was signed with The Netherlands on 17 September 2004 and a final agreement was signed on 21 February 2005. |
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PoAF 601 squadron celebrates 20th Anniversary (25mar06) Formed in March 1986, shortly after the arrival of the first P-3P, the PoAF “Esquadra 601 – Lobos” located at Base Aérea 6, Montijo, South of Lisbon, has celebrated its 20th Anniversary on 25 March 2006 under the motto "Esquadra 601, 20 Anos sobre o mar" (601 Squadron, 20 Years over the sea). Most of the events took place in one of the squadron’s maintenance hangars. |
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Inside the invited guests where surprised with the presence of the P-3P 14803 painted in special markings On both sides of the fuselage the head of a wolf, the squadron’s mascot, has been painted. Also special markings were painted on the tail. During the celebrations 601 squadron received a certificate from the environmental association “Grupo Lobo” for their support on the protection of the Iberian wolf. |
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Parked outside the hangar where the two ex-RNLN P-3C CUP Orions, recently arrived from the United States, side by side with one of the P-3P Orions exhibiting the range of armament and other equipment used. Two aircraft (300 and the P-3P) were open to the visitors.
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Six ex-RAAF P-3B Orions purchased by Portugal were modified to P-3P's according to Portuguese and NATO specifications. Most of the mission systems installed were equal to the systems used in the P-3C-II½ but some are unique for the Portuguese aircraft. The tactical displays are of a different type and the search radar of the P-3P is the same one as used on the New Zealand P-3K. Remarkable is the ALR-66 ESM-system, fitted in a radome below the aft fuselage. Lockheed modified the first aircraft for Portugal and delivered the aircraft to the Portuguese Air Force in 1989. The remaining five aircraft were modified by the Oficinas Gerais de Material Aeronáutico (OGMA) at Alverca AB.
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The Royal Thai Navy ordered three ex USN P-3A Orions in 1989. Deliveries were delayed for a couple of years due to financial problems and governmental changes in Thailand. In September/October 1993 the Orions destined for Thailand arrived at the NADEP at NAS Jacksonville, where the aircraft were modified to meet the Royal Thai Navy's requirements.
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Two aircraft were modified to P-3T (mainly based on the TAC/NAV Mod version) and delivered in February 1995. The third one was originally delivered as a UP-3T Orion in 1996, but was later modified to VP-3T standard. All aircraft received modern navigation systems and commercial color weather radars. |
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The VP-3T is a VIP bird with strengthened floor, passenger seats and a limited so-called SENTAC station which combines some elements of the Sensor 3 and TACCO stations, enabling the aircraft to perform light surveillance duties. The Orions were purchased as replacements for the Grumman S-2A/G Trackers and are operated by 102 squadron (initially with 101 squadron) alongside the Fokker F-27 Maritime Enforcers. The first Thai P-3 crews were trained by VP-30 at NAS Jacksonville and by Logistic Services International on location in Thailand. Next to the three operational Orions Thailand received two ex USN P-3A's which are used as spare part birds at U-Tapao AB. |
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Royal Thai Navy P-3T upgrade (07jun05) A Royal Thai Navy (RTN) P-3T arrived at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in April for a radar upgrade that will benefit Thailand as well as the United States in the global war on terror. NAVAIR's Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) Program Office (PMA-290) is responsible for the upgrade under the auspices of a foreign military sales (FMS) case. |
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A combined NAVAIR/Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) team at NAS Patuxent River will replace the antiquated APS-80 radar system with a Raytheon commercial off the shelf (COTS) SeaVue radar. This radar will provide enhanced capabilities such as Inverse Synthetic Aperture, as well as a replacement for the functions that were provided by the obsolete APS-80 radar. |
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The NAWCAD team will take about eight to 10 weeks to install, integrate and test the COTS SeaVue radar. Ground and flight-testing will be performed at NAS Patuxent River, including a functional check flight, and four five-hour test flights. The upgraded P-3T will be used to train an RTN crew consisting of two pilots, a flight engineer, two naval flight officers, one in-flight technician, and one radar operator prior to ferrying the RTN P-3T back to U-Tapao, Thailand. |
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A three-Phased Depot Maintenance (PDM), the first major maintenance conducted on this aircraft since delivery in 1995, was performed at a Lockheed Martin Aircraft Center (LMAC) in Greenville, S.C. prior to arrival at NAS Patuxent River. |
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