Airbus Defence & Space has delivered the last of nine Lockheed P-3 Orion anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft it has upgraded for the Brazilian air force.
The final enhanced example has been ferried from Airbus Defence & Space’s facility in Seville, Spain to the service's base in Salvador de Bahía, Brazil.
Acquired from the US Navy in 2006, the nine aircraft have been equipped with a suite of mission sensors, communications systems and cockpit avionics, alongside the Airbus Defence & Space Fully Integrated Tactical System.
Airbus Defence & Space
In addition, work was carried out on the airframes and Rolls-Royce T56 powerplants to prolong the P-3’s operational life “for many years to come”.
Brazil will use the modernised aircraft to perform ASW, maritime patrol, search and rescue and economic exclusion zone enforcement missions.
Under the terms of its contract with Airbus, Brazil has received a package of industrial offsets, including training and research in the aerospace sector.
Airbus Defence & Space has modernised a total of 12 P-3 Orions – nine for the Brazilian air force and three for its Spanish equivalent.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
