Lockheed P-3 Orion

Canada eyes P-8A Poseidon as replacement for ageing Aurora fleet

Canada has announced that it intends to join its other four Five Eyes alliance partner nations in acquiring the Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, with the type set to replace the Royal Canadian Air Force’s ageing Lockheed CP-140M Aurora fleet

US Navy’s shadowy BUPERS-SDC replaces last P-3C BMUP+ with Poseidon

The US Navy’s mysterious Bureau of Naval Personnel Sea Duty Component (BUPERS-SDC) and Naval Air Systems Command-Flight Support Detachment (NAWC-23) at Dallas Love Field, Texas, has replaced its final P-3C BMUP+ Orion with the P-8A Poseidon

New Zealand bids farewell to P-3K2 Orion fleet

On January 24, three Lockheed P-3K2 Orions departed Royal New Zealand Air Force Base Auckland in Whenaupai for a formation flight over the country's North Island to bid farewell to the type after more than 55 years of service

Spain set for lengthy capability gap following P-3M Orion retirement

After almost 50 years of operational service, the Spanish Air and Space Force retired its final Lockheed P-3M Orion maritime patrol aircraft on December 17

New Zealand expedites P-3K2 Orion retirement despite capability gap

The New Zealand Defence Force announced on December 13 that it will retire its five remaining Lockheed P-3K2 Orion maritime patrol aircraft five months earlier than planned due to staff shortages and maintenance constraints

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Inside the US Navy Reserve's last operational P-3C Orion squadron

Washington’s Patrol Squadron 69 (VP-69) ‘Totems’ was the sole active P-3C squadron in the US Navy Reserve fleet until September 30. AirForces Monthly visited the unit to report on the twilight of its Orion operations

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Inside ESQ601: Portugal's P-3C CUP+ Squadron

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

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Unit report: On patrol with Portugal's P-3C fleet

The Portuguese Air Force’s P-3C maritime patrol aircraft is the workhorse of the country’s search and rescue and anti-submarine warfare capabilities, an adaptable platform that can be rapidly configured for each mission set

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Portuguese P-3C Orion supports search for missing adventurer

While the P-3C maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) might more commonly be associated with anti-submarine warfare operations, one of, if not the most, important missions the type will regularly undertake will be that of search and rescue (SAR)

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Coming soon: Flying with the Portuguese Air Force

Take a behind the scenes look at Portuguese Air Force training unit, Esq101 “Roncos”, as Key.Aero explores the country’s basic fighter training and what it is doing to keep the ageing TB-30 Epsilon a viable asset for training future front line F-16 pilots