German Navy Extends Life of P-3C with New Wing

By Andrew Chuter
Defense News
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July 29, 2015
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LONDON — Germany is extending the life of its P-3C Orion fleet in a deal with Airbus Defence and Space teamed with Lockheed Martin.
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The two companies have signed a contract with the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment to re-wing the fleet of eight maritime patrol/anti-submarine warfare aircraft over the course of the eight-year program.
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Included in the mid-life update of the aircraft is a new outer wing, centre fuselage, and horizontal stabilizers.
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The U.S. and several other countries that have already undertaken the replacement of P-3 wings.
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The structures will be produced by Lockheed Martin in the U.S. and shipped to the Manching, Germany facilities of Airbus for integration, installation, and checks.
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Mark Jarvis, the director of P-3 programs at Lockheed Martin, the addition of the new wings will extend the "life of each German Navy by 15,000 hours".
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First deliveries are expected to take place in November 2016.
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Airbus already has the support contract for the eight German Navy P-3Cs acquired from the Dutch military in 2006.
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The new wings are part of a wider program of updates planned for the German aircraft including mission avionics and an instrumental flight rules capability hike.

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