El ejército del Aire ha recortado la modernización de su flota de P-3B a cuatro aviones en lugar de cinco, habiendo planificado la instalación del sistema EADS CASA FITS en cinco unidades inicialmente. La quinta unidad será utilizada como repuestos. El último P-3B con sistema FITS será entregado este año 2010. España también utliiza un CASA CN-235 dotado con FITS.
España tiene previsto operar el P-3B modernizado hasta por lo menos 2020. Los dos P-3A no se modernizarán pero también se cuenta con ellos hasta 2020. El futuro está por determinar, pero al Ejército del Aire no le convence la opción de un avión turbofan como el P-8A que dotará a la US Navy.
Las Fuerzas Armadas Españolas esperan contar con sistemas aéreos no tripulados (UAV), en especial para las misiones antipiratería en Somalia, aunque la decisión está siendo aplazada por el gobierno, que espera los avances en el programa trinacional de EADS. Una vez terminado el desarrollo por EADS, el Ministerio de Defensa espera aprobar rapidamente la compra. El Israel Aerospace Industries Heron-1 podría ser una solución interina hasta que llegara el EADS Talarion.
AVIATION WEEK
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The Spanish air force is reducing its P-3 upgrade program to four aircraft, having previously planned to install the EADS CASA Fully Integrated Tactical System (FITS) on five of the maritime patrol aircraft.
The decision was largely budget driven, with the fifth aircraft now expected to serve mainly as a spare parts repository to keep the four FITS-equipped Lockheed-built P-3B. The last of the four P-3Bs receiving the FITS mission system is to be delivered this year. Spain also operates CASA CN-235s with FITS.
Spain hopes to fly its upgraded P-3Bs until past 2020 and to reach that point, also has been pursuing structural work. The air force’s two P-3As will not be upgraded, but are expected to last until 2020. What comes next has yet to be determined, but the air force is not convinced a turbofan-powered approach, as offered by Boeing with the P-8A, is the right approach.
Meanwhile, service officials are anxious to get their hands on a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aircraft to augment their manned surveillance aircraft, in particular for anti-piracy missions off Somalia. But Spanish MALE UAV plans are frozen as the government awaits the outcome of a trinational study into the EADS-proposed Advanced UAV. Once that process is complete, the Spanish officer says he hopes the defense ministry will quickly approve purchase of an off-the-shelf system. The Israel Aerospace Industries Heron-1 is the front runner, but would serve in an interim capability even if the government opts for the twinjet EADS Talarion.
AVIATION WEEK
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