Airbus Defence & Space is teaming with Lockheed Martin to provide a mid-life upgrade for the German navy’s eight-strong fleet of P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft.
The eight-year Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) contract will include re-winging the aircraft. This will be performed using mid-life upgrade kits that consist of an outer wing, centre fuselage and horizontal stabiliser. The kits will be provided by Lockheed’s overseas services corporation division in Marietta, Georgia, with integration to be carried out by Airbus in Manching, Germany.
The wing kits are expected to extend the life of each aircraft allocated to Naval Air Wing 3 at Naval Air Station Nordholz by some 15,000h.
The P-3Cs in the German inventory were built between 1982 and 1984, and are each powered by four Rolls-Royce Allison T56 turboprop engines, Flightglobal’s Fleets Analyzer database shows. Berlin acquired the fleet from the Netherlands, with the last example transferred in April 2005.
Airbus Defence & Space is also contracted to provide full in-service support to the German anti-submarine warfare Orions through a weapons system support contract.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
