Pakistan has received two former US navy Lockheed Martin P-3C Orion aircraft, the second batch under a six-aircraft foreign military sales (FMS) deal.
The first P-3C was delivered on 12 February and the second on 17 February, said a US government spokesman. The aircraft were delivered to Pakistan Naval Station (PNS) Mehran near Karachi, where they will be based.
A Pakistan navy spokesman confirmed the delivery, but could not confirm when the final pair under the deal will be delivered.
He added that the first batch of two refurbished P-3Cs delivered in 2010 were not the same Orions that were destroyed in the May 2011 terrorist raid at PNS Mehran.
The Pakistan P-3C FMS programme involves the conversion of former US navy Orions, with Lockheed upgrading their mission equipment and providing maintenance work. In Pakistan, the P-3C Orion is used for maritime patrol, as well as anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare.
Source: Flight International
