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Lockheed P-3C Orion
Due to space limitations on this server all I can put up are some selected photos I aquired during my last deployment to Diego Garcia. To learn about the VP Navy got to the VP Navy website. It has history, pictures, news and developments of every Patrol Squadron active or decommisioned.
P-3 on Final Approach to the Island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. Patrol Squadrons of the Atlantic and Pacific fleets deploy overseas on a rotating basis of 12 months at home and 6 months overseas. Pacific detatchment sites from homeports in Whidbey Island, WA and Barbers Point, HI include Kadena-Okinawa, Misawa-Japan, Atsuki-Japan, Pohang-South Korea, Guam, Indonesia, Brunei, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Diego Garcia-Indian Ocean, Masirah-Oman, Baharain-UAE, Africa, Pakistan, Singapore, Hong Kong and India.
P-3C Flight Station center console. Note the ancient analog displays and the tactical situation scope. P-3 Avionics are a mix of vaccum tube 1960's and ultramodern 90's equipment. For instance the main digital computer, driving all the displays and handling all incoming data has a whopping 64k of ferrite-core memory. It is the size of a filing cabinet with octal-binary light bulbs for diagnostic readout. It runs on a parallel bus with means 4 logic units the size of suitcases must translate this into serial words for use by displays, datalink modem, trackball and keyset input devices. Contrast this to our new ESM system which has a plasma touchscreen display/keyboard, build in spectrum analyser and automatic classification and identifiaction of radar emitters. Of course since the P-3 has zero defensive capability, a missle lock warning gives the sensor operator just enough time to bent over and kiss his or her a** goodbye.
To save fuel P-3's routinely shut down one or two engines to extent time on station. Missions ranging from ASW sub hunting, SAR, ASuW surface surveillance to shopping trips routinely last 12 to 18 hours. Engine #1 (on the left outside) is often shut down to save fuel and increase endurance. For really long patrols #4 engine (right outside) is also shut down although all four engines have to run below 1000 feet. It is not uncommon to feather an engine due to mechanical difficulties. A unusual influx of recent cathastrophic turbine failures was partly blamed on the switch to JP-8 jet fuel which has a lower flashpoint. VP-47 recently had an interesting incidend in the Persian Gulf. The #4 prop exploded catching #4 engine on fire. It also took out the #3 engine and the propeller blade pieces cut through the fuselage severing #1 and #2 engine control cables causing both turbines to flame out. The shrapnel partially severed most of the flight control cables which were by then the only way to control the aircraft after the hydraulic systems failed without engine generator power. The aircraft ditched and all flyers were rescued by the Oman Air Force.
Homeward bound to Hawaii into the sunrise. Flight originated at Atsugi Air Station near Tokyo and proceeded nonstop to Barbers Point NAS in Hawaii. That's a long ass flight. Sometimes P-3's from Hawaii fly nonstop to Jacksonville, Florida. Orions can load up essential spares and maintenance personnel to go to any spot on the globe within 24 hours and continue war time operations around the clock for weeks or even months.
Highspeed pass with the Bombbay doors open. The P-3 still holds the world speed record for turboprop aircraft. We like to buzz the Carriers and do vertical climbs into the clouds. Then we get on the radio and bragg about the size of our Per Diem check$. Of course thats after we're out of the battlegroups missile and gun range.