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Pakistans location on the Indian Ocean next to the Persian Gulf, and its rivalry with India, ensure that its maritime patrol and strike capabilities will need to operate across a wide expanse of ocean. Maritime patrol aircraft are critical to that effort, because of the surveillance area that a single plane can cover. Like India, Pakistan relies on a mix. In its case, that mix includes converted Fokker F27 twin-turboprops, a couple of early-model Dassault Atlantiques, and a high-end force of 2 P-3C Orion aircraft, reactivated in 2006. The 4-engine Orions have much better range than Pakistans other maritime patrol aircraft, which widens that countrys sphere of naval influence.
Subsequent orders have served to detail the modernization work for Pakistans Orion fleet, via a deal for 8 more P-3 aircraft, refurbishment orders, and the accompanying orders for AGM-84 Harpoon missiles that can attack naval or land targets
Contracts and Key Events
In late 2004, Portuguese aircraft refitter OGMA was chosen by Lockheed Martin in Marietta, GA to restore and refit Pakistans 2 remaining aircraft to the P-3C Update II.5 level. In addition, Pakistan was preparing to buy 8 US Navy surplus P-3C aircraft through the Foreign Military Sales program a sale that went through.
While the P-3 Orion and Harpoon missile orders are separate deals, the Harpoon is the Orions critical surface warfare capability. A P-3 without Harpoon missiles is a patrol aircraft and a threat to submarines. One with Harpoon missiles can become a threat to any surface ship within the wide arc of its range which in Pakistans case extends to the Strait of Hormuz, and across a wide swath of the Indian Ocean.
Feb 21/12: Pakistans Navy inducts 2 refurbished P-3C Orions, during a ceremony at PNS Mehran, near Karachi. That makes 2 now. It would be 4, but jihadists destroyed the first 2 during an attack on PNS Mehran June 15-17/11 entries. IBN Live.
Dec 27/11: Lockheed Martin in Owego, NY receives an $8.4 million firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract modification in support of the Pakistan [P-3] Upgrade Program (PUP). This modification includes Phase Depot Maintenance Phase I for aircraft 505; removal and replacement of engines for aircraft 505 and 511; and support costs associated with a schedule extension to the PUP Plus effort.
Work will be performed in Greenville, SC (65%), and Owego, NY (35%), and is expected to be complete in May 2013. The US Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division in Lakehurst, NJ manages the contract, as Pakistans agent (N00019-06-D-0012).
June 17/11: Reports surface that the USA will be replacing the 2 refurbished Pakistani P-3C sea control aircraft destroyed at PNS Mehran. A number of these reports cite the admonitions of a mixed opinion-news column by the Washington Posts David Ignatius. On the other hand, some newspapers like Pakistans DAWN are citing diplomatic sources as backing for the news about the Orions. DAWN is a good paper, but the backing for these reports remains murky, depending on what they mean by diplomatic sources. Ignatius op-ed | Associated Press of Pakistan | DAWN |
Pakistan’s P-3 Orion Maritime Aircraft - and their Harpoons
Few months old article but lot of insight
Subsequent orders have served to detail the modernization work for Pakistans Orion fleet, via a deal for 8 more P-3 aircraft, refurbishment orders, and the accompanying orders for AGM-84 Harpoon missiles that can attack naval or land targets
Contracts and Key Events
In late 2004, Portuguese aircraft refitter OGMA was chosen by Lockheed Martin in Marietta, GA to restore and refit Pakistans 2 remaining aircraft to the P-3C Update II.5 level. In addition, Pakistan was preparing to buy 8 US Navy surplus P-3C aircraft through the Foreign Military Sales program a sale that went through.
While the P-3 Orion and Harpoon missile orders are separate deals, the Harpoon is the Orions critical surface warfare capability. A P-3 without Harpoon missiles is a patrol aircraft and a threat to submarines. One with Harpoon missiles can become a threat to any surface ship within the wide arc of its range which in Pakistans case extends to the Strait of Hormuz, and across a wide swath of the Indian Ocean.
Feb 21/12: Pakistans Navy inducts 2 refurbished P-3C Orions, during a ceremony at PNS Mehran, near Karachi. That makes 2 now. It would be 4, but jihadists destroyed the first 2 during an attack on PNS Mehran June 15-17/11 entries. IBN Live.
Dec 27/11: Lockheed Martin in Owego, NY receives an $8.4 million firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract modification in support of the Pakistan [P-3] Upgrade Program (PUP). This modification includes Phase Depot Maintenance Phase I for aircraft 505; removal and replacement of engines for aircraft 505 and 511; and support costs associated with a schedule extension to the PUP Plus effort.
Work will be performed in Greenville, SC (65%), and Owego, NY (35%), and is expected to be complete in May 2013. The US Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division in Lakehurst, NJ manages the contract, as Pakistans agent (N00019-06-D-0012).
June 17/11: Reports surface that the USA will be replacing the 2 refurbished Pakistani P-3C sea control aircraft destroyed at PNS Mehran. A number of these reports cite the admonitions of a mixed opinion-news column by the Washington Posts David Ignatius. On the other hand, some newspapers like Pakistans DAWN are citing diplomatic sources as backing for the news about the Orions. DAWN is a good paper, but the backing for these reports remains murky, depending on what they mean by diplomatic sources. Ignatius op-ed | Associated Press of Pakistan | DAWN |
Pakistan’s P-3 Orion Maritime Aircraft - and their Harpoons
Few months old article but lot of insight
