With the aging Lockheed Martin P-3 Orion commonly being replaced by the Boeing P-8A Poseidon, Joe Campion reports on how the Portuguese Air Force and its fleet prove the maritime patrol legend is still worthy of its role
With the arrival of the first Portuguese Air Force (FAP) P-3Ps at Montijo Air Force Base in Lisbon on August 7, 1988, Esquadra 601 ‘Lobos’ was launched, inheriting the maritime surveillance mission of Portugal. A total of six former Royal Australian Air force (RAAF) aircraft were procured and the squadron’s activity was mainly devoted to the qualification and training of crews, which was a responsibility of the P-3P manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, up until 1990.
