Lockheed Martin has been awarded a modification contract to integrate engineering change proposals (ECP) required for the Taiwanese Navy’s 12 P-3C Orion anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft.
It follows a previous award to upgrade the Taiwan Navy’s P-3C maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, which were originally procured in 2007 under the US FMS programme.
Upgrades to the aircraft involved installation of new mission system avionics and service life extension kits to extend the operational life for 15,000 additional flight hours.
Under the recent $9.3m firm-fixed-price contract, Lockheed will install complimentary navigation message ECP to update RINU-G and control display unit software for a message set.
The Harpoon Block 2 missile requires the message set for precision targeting.
In addition, the contract includes equipment of the ALR-97/electronic support measures ECP to update the ALR-95 system, as well as an upgrading of Mode 4 software to Mode-T and technical publications updates.
The 35.61m-long P-3C maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft has been designed to support missions including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as search-and-rescue and drug interdiction.
Equipped with four Allison T56-A-14 turboprop engines, the Lockheed-built P-3C aircraft is armed with Harpoon anti-ship and stand-off land attack missile.
Scheduled to be complete in February 2014, work under the recent contract will be carried out across the US in Owego, New York; Jacksonville, Florida; Van Nuys, California; Aberdeen, Maryland; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; McKinney, Texas; Marietta, Georgia; and Woodland Hills, California.
The US Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division will serve as the contracting activity.
Image: A P-3C Orion aircraft readies to take-off in Okinawa, Japan. Photo: courtesy of Alaniaris.
