Taiwan P-3C Orion purchase moving ahead

Musashi_kenshin

Musashi_kenshin

Well-Known Member
US take final step towards Taiwan Lockheed P-3C sale

Taiwan's long-planned purchase of 12 refurbished Lockheed Martin P-3C Orion anti-submarine warfare aircraft has been notified to US Congress. Deliveries would begin in 2011 under the proposed $1.96 billion deal.

The ex-US Navy P-3s were first offered to Taiwan in 2001, to replace its Grumman S-2T Trackers, but political infighting in Taipei blocked approval of the special budget until the legislative logjam was finally broken in June.
Taiwan has already identified 12 airframes in desert storage, plus three TP-3As for airframe spares, and Lockheed expects to refurbish the Orions at its Greenville, South Carolina site, fitting new wings to restore the full 15,000h fatigue life.


The proposed deal includes Rolls-Royce T56 engines, avionics and sensor upgrades, tactical common datalink and Link 16 terminals, a mobile operations command centre, network integration and training devices.
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That's definitely a good purchase for Taiwan. :)
 
Musashi_kenshin

Musashi_kenshin

Well-Known Member
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nero said:
how can u say that ???

The orion is obsolete.
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So you think that the USN, JMSDF and ROKN's maritime patrol aircraft are obsolete? Whatever you're smoking, I could do with some of it. :nutkick

China would kill to have an anti-submarine platform like the P-3C Orion. Taiwan's order will greatly boost its anti-submarine capabilities.

plus chinese SSKs r much more advanced than they used to be.
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It depends what you're comparing them to. But it doesn't matter as it's unlikely they would be able to avoid detection by the Orions.
 
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swerve

Super Moderator
Yes. The airframe is good enough, & the sensors & weapons can & will be upgraded.

Consider the Armadas P-3s - the combat system & sensors are all 21st century. Obsolete?
 
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radiosilence

jints
The P-3s will remain in service in large numbers with the USN until at least 2013 when the P-8A and other options are available. Below is a list of some of the modernization being done.

Current modernization programs include installation of a modernized communications suite, Protected Instrument Landing System, IFF Mode S and Required Navigation Performance Area Navigation, GPS, common avionics improvements and modernized cockpit instrumentation. The USQ-78(V) Upgrade Program is improving the USQ-78(V) Single Advanced Signal Processor system Display Control Unit, a programmable system control processor that provides post processing of acoustic data and is the main component of the Update III acoustic configuration. Up to 100 P-3C aircraft are being upgraded to USQ-78B configuration with System Controller (SC) and Acoustic Sub Unit (ASU) Tech Refreshes. In addition, all analog acoustic data recorders are being replaced with digital data recorders.

The Critical Obsolescence Program (COP) began in fiscal year 2004 to improve aircraft availability through replacement of obsolete and/or top degrader systems. COP systems include the ARC-230 HF as replacement for the ARC-161, the USQ-130 Data Link as replacement for the ACQ-5, the ASW-60 Autopilot as replacement for the ASW-31, the ASX-6 Multi-Mode Imaging System (MMIS) as replacement for the AAS-36 IRDS and the Telephonics Secure Digital Intercommunications System (SDI) as replacement for the AIC-22 ICS. The Navy has shifted the P-3C’s operational emphasis to the littoral regions and is improving the antisurface warfare (ASUW) capabilities of the P-3C. The antisurface warfare improvement program (AIP) incorporates enhancements in ASUW, over-the-horizon targeting (OTH-T) and command, control, communications and intelligence (C4I), and improves survivability. The AIP program presently includes 72 kits on contract; 69 aircraft have been delivered to the fleet as of September 2006. Upgrades to the armament system include the addition of the AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER missile and Mk54 torpedo capabilities.
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link
 
Musashi_kenshin

Musashi_kenshin

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radiosilence, I'm not sure whether the Taiwanese P-3Cs would get all those upgrades, but certainly it will be one of the most modern variants.
 
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radiosilence

jints
Musashi_kenshin said:
radiosilence, I'm not sure whether the Taiwanese P-3Cs would get all those upgrades, but certainly it will be one of the most modern variants.
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Those upgrades are for the USN P-3s. Someone mention that the P-3s were outdated or something to that nature and i was pointing out the modernization program they were being put through.
 
Musashi_kenshin

Musashi_kenshin

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radiosilence said:
Those upgrades are for the USN P-3s. Someone mention that the P-3s were outdated or something to that nature and i was pointing out the modernization program they were being put through.
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Yes, yes of course - even the C variants prior to that were very good. But this is a thread about Taiwan's P-3Cs, not the USN's.
 
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radiosilence

jints
Musashi_kenshin said:
Really - do you know which ones? The original article wasn't specific.
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This is what Taiwan is putting on excess P-3Cs they purchased.
T-56 engines, 3 excess TP-3A aircraft (non-operational, to be used as airframe spares) with T-56 engines, 15 Data Link terminals, 19 Multifunctional Information Distribution Systems (MIDS)/Low Volume Terminals (LVT), 2 MIDS On-Ship Terminals, aircraft activation, aircraft life extension and avionics modification, transportation, mobile operation command center, Command Control Communications Computer Intelligence Surveillance, Reconnaissance, (C4ISR) network integration, training devices, medical services, support and test equipment, engineering technical services, supply support, operation and maintenance training, ground support C2 facilities...
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