EAGAN, Minn., 20 March 2009Lockheed Martin won a $665.6 million contract to upgrade the Taiwan navy's P-3C maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft. Upgrades will include new military avionics and service life extension kits to extend the aircrafts' service life for an additional 15,000 flight hours.
The Taiwan Navy obtained 12 P-3C aircraft under the U.S. government's Foreign Military Sales program in 2007. Planned mission system upgrades include installation of electronic support measures, acoustics, communications, electro-optic and infrared systems, and new data management software and hardware, controls, displays, and avionics mission computers. The service life extension kits include new outer wings, center wing lower surfaces, horizontal stabilizers, horizontal stabilizer leading edges, and nacelle components.
Work will be performed at Lockheed Martin facilities in Eagan, Minn.; Manassas, Va.; Marietta, Ga.; and Greenville, S.C. The first modernized Taiwan Navy P-3C aircraft will be delivered in 2012.
The P-3 is the primary maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft operated by the U.S. Navy and 18 international allies. Its roles include anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, surveillance and reconnaissance, search and rescue, drug interdiction, economic zone patrol, airborne early warning and electronic warfare.
