Argentine Navy eyes US surplus P-3Cs

A technical delegation from the Argentine Navy visited the United States at the end of September to inspect and select two Lockheed Martin P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft (MPAs) soon to be become surplus to the US Navy (USN) for potential procurement, military sources in Buenos Aires have told Jane’s .
The delegation visited Air Station Whidbey Island at Oak Harbor in Washington state: the USN’s main West Coast MPA base. The aircraft being inspected are P-3Cs that are still operational but soon to be replaced by new Boeing P-8 Poseidon multimission maritime aircraft. According to the sources, Argentina is seeking a “warm transfer” of the MPAs that might be selected (i.e., a relatively direct transfer from the US to Argentine service).
janes

Japan seeks to give P-3 patrol planes to Malaysia

Japan is looking to donate retired military patrol aircraft to Malaysia, letting that Southeast Asian country keep closer watch over the South China Sea to rein in China's maritime expansion.
Parliament is currently weighing revisions to the foundational law of the Ministry of Defense that would allow equipment to be given to other nations at no cost. Currently, some form of compensation is legally required for any national asset. Malaysia will likely be the first beneficiary once that change is made, receiving P-3C patrol aircraft previously used by the Maritime Self-Defense Force.
nikkei

US, Chinese aircraft in 'unsafe' encounter in South China Sea

The U.S. Pacific Command detailed what it called an "unsafe" close encounter between a U.S. Navy P-3 Orion aircraft and a Chinese aircraft Wednesday.
The two planes reportedly flew within 1,000 feet of each other in the general vicinity of the contested Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.
Maj. Rob Shulford, a spokesman for PACOM, told Defense News that “on Feb. 8 (local), an interaction characterized by U.S. Pacific Command as 'unsafe' occurred in international airspace above the South China Sea between a Chinese KJ-200 aircraft and a U.S. Navy P-3C aircraft.”
He also said that "the U.S. Navy P-3C was on a routine mission operating in accordance with international law," adding that the “Department of Defense and U.S. Pacific Command are always concerned about unsafe interactions with Chinese military forces."
There have been no other details about the relative flight paths of both aircraft at the time of the encounter, which has been described as “inadvertent,” although other reports said that the American P-3 had to alter course to avoid an aerial collision.
The Chinese aircraft involved has been identified as a Shaanxi KJ-200 Airborne Early Warning aircraft, which suggests this was unlikely to be an intercept of the P-3 by the Chinese.
The KJ-200 carries a phased array radar inside a long, rectangular housing mounted on struts on top of its fuselage. The aircraft is used by both the People’s Liberation Army Air Force and the air arm of the People’s Liberation Army Navy, or PLAN, to provide air surveillance.
It is unclear to which branch of China’s armed forces the aircraft involved in this latest encounter belongs, although PLAN KJ-200s have been known to operate from air bases on China’s southern Hainan Island, 530 miles from Scarborough Shoal.
The aircraft are usually on temporary rotations to Hainan, being normally assigned to the PLAN’s 2nd Air Division, 4th Regiment based at Laiyang in Shandong Province, northern China.

Philippines confirms its interest in getting P-3C, helicopters from Japan

The Department of National Defense on Thursday confirmed reports that it is planning to acquire a P-3C patrol aircraft from Japan to boost the military’s capabilities especially in monitoring the nation’s maritime boundaries.
Several P3-C Orion aircraft from Japan’s Self Defense Force are participating in ongoing military exercises in Philippines.
The aircraft, together with a Philippine Navy Islander spotter plane, conducted a joint patrol exercise near the Recto (Reed) Bank off the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea).
Aside from the Orion aircraft, Galvez said the Philippines is also eyeing to acquire helicopters from Japan.
manilatimes

The Philippines Could Acquire P-3C Orion From Japan

Japan and the Philippines agreed to strengthen security ties and discussed transferring military equipment and technology on Thursday in Tokyo's latest move to strengthen cooperation with Southeast Asian countries to counter China's maritime ambitions.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and visiting Philippine President Benigno Aquino also agreed to expand joint training and exercises between their militaries and to co-operate in building up the Philippines Coast Guard.
China has become increasingly assertive in the South China Sea, building artificial islands in areas over which the Philippines and other countries have rival claims.
The Philippines has already handed the Tokyo government a list of Japanese military equipment it wants to acquire such as P-3C maritime surveillance aircraft, a senior Philippine naval officer has said.
reuters

Taiwan to deploy P-3Cs to Spratlys

Taiwan announced on 20 April that it will deploy newly-delivered P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft on surveillance missions over its claimed territory in the South China Sea.
The aircraft are currently deployed in anti-submarine reconnaissance and surveillance operations in and around Taiwan's air defence identification zone.
However, the scope of the P-3C operations will be expanded to include waters in southeastern Taiwan and areas around the Spratly and Pratas islands.
Taiwan has to date taken delivery of eight of a total of 12 refurbished P-3C Orion aircraft from the US. The remaining four are due to be delivered by the end of 2015.
The P-3Cs are set to replace the Republic of China Air Force's fleet of 11 S-2T anti-submarine aircraft, which have been in service for more than 40 years.
China has built islands at Cuarteron, Gaven, Hughes, Johnson South, Subi and Mischief reefs, while it is also putting pressure on the Philippines.
For its part, Taiwan is seeking to expand its runway on Taiping Island (Itu Aba) in the Spratlys from the existing 1,150 m-long and 30 m-wide strip, which was completed in early 2008.
janes

Taiwan Holds Computer War Games Against China Attack

Taiwan Monday launched computerized war games featuring its newly acquired AH-64 Apache helicopters helping counter a simulated attack by a Chinese aircraft carrier group.
The five-day drill, part of the island’s biggest annual military maneuvers to be held in September, is aimed at testing the island’s defense capability against the fast expanding military might of the giant neighbor.
A scenario of the drill was attacks on the east by a Chinese aircraft carrier group.
With military deployments focused on the west coast facing mainland China, the east is relatively vulnerable to any Chinese invasion.
The drill for the first time features weaponry acquired last year, including the latest variant of US-made Apaches which military gurus say is the world’s most lethal attack helicopter, P-3C submarine hunting aircraft, and an upgraded version of Taiwan’s Indigenous Defence Fighter.
defensenews

Australia to Acquire Eight Boeing P-8A

Australia is to acquire eight new Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft, to watch over a vast area of ocean and if necessary attack enemy ships and submarines and stopping the flow of asylum seeker boats.
It's expected the first one to be in operational service by 2017.
The P-8A will replace RAAF 19 elderly Lockheed AP-3C Orion. There's an option for four more.
Poseidons are now entering service with the US and Indian navies.
They can be equipped with Harpoon missiles to attack ships and torpedoes and depth charges to attack submarines and conduct search and rescue missions.
In Australian service, the new Poseidons will eventually operate in conjunction with proposed Triton unmanned surveillance aircraft.
As a new aircraft, the Poseidon has experienced problems, with the Pentagon last month deeming US Navy Poseidons ineffective at their primary jobs of reconnaissance and submarine hunting because of problems with the radar and other systems.
defense-studies

Australia to Buy Seven Drones for Border Protection

The Australian government would spend around 3 billion Australian dollars to purchase seven large unmanned aircraft for the country's border protection.
The aircraft would be primarily used for military purposes such as spotting enemy ships and planes in a conflict, but they can also be used to detect asylum seekers since the drone can search an area of 40,000 square nautical miles in a single mission.
Defense Minister would soon refer to the cabinet for its first pass approval of 3 billion dollars for the seven U.S. made MQ-4C Triton, a maritime version of the Global Hawk.
The seven new drone would be deployed in a air force base close to the southern city of Adelaide and will replace the current aging fleet of P-3 Orion surveillance planes.
defense-studies

RAAF scrambles plane to observe Chinese naval exercise

Australia scrambled an air force surveillance plane earlier this month to monitor an unannounced Chinese military exercise that took China Navy ships closer to Australian territory than ever before.
China carried out combat simulations at the beginning of the month between Christmas Island and Indonesia in an apparent flexing of its growing naval muscle.
China had not announced the exercise. When Australia became aware that the three Chinese vessels were sailing across the waters to the north, the Royal Australian Air Force sent an AP-3C Orion, to observe.
It was the first time China had carried out a military simulation in Australia's maritime approaches.
The three warships came through the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, skirted along the southern side of Java - taking them close to Christmas Island - before turning north through the Lombok Strait next to Bali.
Analysts stressed China's move was legal - taking place in international waters - and not inherently hostile. But it did constitute a signal by Beijing that it meant to become a truly global naval power, which fundamentally changed Australia's strategic position.
smh.com

P-8A aircraft gets green light to enter full rate production

On the heels of the P-8A Poseidon squadron’s inaugural deployment, the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft Program Office recently announced P-8A Poseidon entered the full-rate productionphase of its development.
The approval, will allow the program office, resource sponsor, acquisition community and industry to continue to deliver the P-8A to the fleet with the required capabilities needed to ensure the squadrons are getting a stable and efficient system.
This approval moves the program from low-rate into full-rate production.
The objective is to deliver 117 aircraft to the fleet. Thirteen of 37 Low Rate Initial Productionaircraft have already been delivered on or ahead of schedule..
The P-8A’s current configuration, Increment 1, consists of the following capabilities: persistent armed anti-submarine warfare (ASW), an integrated sensor suite, and significant improvement in situational awareness. Increment 2 will consist of multi-static active coherent acoustics, automated identification system, and high-altitude ASW weapon capability.
The P-8A Poseidon will replace the P-3C Orion as a long-range anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.
navair

Malfunction delays U.S. delivery of P-3C aircraft to Taiwan

The delivery of one of the 12 P-3C submarine-hunting aircraft from the United States was behind schedule due to a malfunction in its flight control system.
Taiwan received the first P-3C aircraft last September, and three more were scheduled to be delivered to Taiwan by the end of 2013.
However, during a legislative committee session Thursday, lawmaker Lin Yu-fang of the ruling Kuomintag revealed that the three sub-hunters should have been flown to Taiwan from Guam in December, but only one arrived here on Dec. 12.
Delivery of the other two was delayed due to a serious malfunction, after being flown there from mainland United States.
One of the two P-3Cs eventually arrived in Taiwan on Dec. 17, after its problem was fixed. The other one was still in Guam waiting to be repaired.
According to the schedule, five more P-3Cs will be delivered to Taiwan in 2014, and another three in 2015, when the P-3C fleet will be commissioned, the Air Force said.
The P-3Cs will replace a fleet of 11 S-2T anti-submarine aircraft that has been in service for more than 40 years.
The U.S. government approved the sale of the 12 P-3Cs with T-56 turboprop engines and related equipment and services in 2007.
focustaiwan

Poseidon's inaugural deployment starts Friday

The inaugural deployment of the P-8A Poseidon will begin Friday when the War Eagles of Patrol Squadron 16 depart Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla., for Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan.
VP-16 returned to Jacksonville from its last P-3C Orion deployment in June 2012 and began the transition into the new airframe the next month. The squadron completed the transition in January and has been preparing for the deployment ever since.
The squadron will deploy with six aircraft and 12 aircrews. However, the crews will be smaller than those flying P-3s, as each only has nine people instead of 11.
The P-8 is the first new maritime patrol aircraft to enter Navy service in over 50 years.
militarytimes

Taiwan P-3C delivery ceremony set for late October

The military said Sunday it will hold a ceremony marking the delivery of the first P-3C submarine-hunting aircraft from the United States at the end of this month.
The first of 12 P-3C anti-submarine aircraft arrived in Taiwan on Sept. 25, and another three are set to arrive by the year's end. The 12 submarine-hunting aircraft and related equipment and services, are part of an arms deal with the U.S. announced in 2007.
All 12 aircraft are scheduled to arrive by 2015 and will be housed at the Republic of China Air Force's Pingtung air base.
focustaiwan

First RoCAF P-3C arrives in Taiwan

First of 12 Lockheed Martin P-3C for Taiwan arrived at Pingtung AFB on Sept. 25.

P-3C maritime patrol aircraft to arrive in Taiwan

The first of a batch of P-C marine patrol aircraft purchased from the US will arrive in the country today or tomorrow depending on the impact of Typhoon Usagi.
Apple Daily reported yesterday that according to the air force, the P-3C Orion will take off from the US and stop in Guam or Hawaii before arriving at Pingtung Air Force Base.
The aircraft will be flown by US pilots with Taiwanese air force personnel on board.
taipeitimes

Australia to Buy More P-8 Poseidon

Australia plans to buy more Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol jets than initially projected to replace planes dating from the 1970, reducing its requirement for drones built by Northrop Grumman Corp.
Funding for the purchase will be sought next year, with talks under way about the exact mix of P-8s and MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft.
Australia currently uses 18 Lockheed Martin AP-3C Orions upgraded a decade ago. While it had planned to acquire eight aircraft and seven drones, the number of P-8s could now reach into double figures.
defense-studies

US Navy's P-8 Poseidon Ready for Fleet Introduction

According reports the P-8A Poseidon as being "operationally effective, operationally suitable, and ready for fleet introduction" following an extensive testing period.The anti-submarine, anti-surface warfare aircraft is the replacement for the Navy's aging fleet of Lockheed Martin P-3C Orion. US NAVY plans on using the Poseidons on anti-submarine missions alongside the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that completed its first flight in May.
aviationtoday

The Next Vietnam Submarine Hunter : C295, P3C or PX

To enhance maritime patrol and submarine hunting in the South China Sea, Vietnam is planning to equip the modern submarine hunting aircraft.
Navy Vietnam are looking to buy a navy patrol plane new, but Vietnam is still not satisfied with the proposed P-3C Orion from the U.S.
Vietnam Ministry of Defense is considering a number of naval patrol aircraft modernization, which includes Airbus Military C-295, the Lockheed P-3 Orion Marin and the type of PX Japan.
Aircraft Kawasaki XP-1 submarine hunting first prototype first flew successfully. 3/2010, Kawasaki has delivered 4 the XP-1 for the Japanese Ministry of Defense test. XP-1 is designed to perform multiple tasks including maritime patrol, reconnaissance, hunting submarines, surface ships and combat search and rescue. XP-1 38m long, wingspan of 35.4 m, 12.1 m high, maximum takeoff weight of 79.7 tons.
Besides hunting ground plane PX, the leading candidate is known for the choice of Vietnam's P-3 Orion. Aircraft P-3 Orion submarine hunter capable of carrying 9 tons ordnance:AGM-84H / K Harpoon, AGM- 84E SLAM, missiles, AGM-65F Maverick on land, and Mk-46 torpedoes, Mk-50, Mk-54.
Airbus Military, said Vietnam was also considering buying aircraft variant C -295 of their anti-submarine patrols, but then the plan has been delayed for a long time. However, the relationship of defense cooperation between Vietnam and the European companies are also quite cozy, typical Coast Guard forces have ordered 3 patrol aircraft CASA C-212's and Airbus are considering buy 3 transport aircraft C-295 of Indonesia.
defense-studies

South Korea to buy 20 maritime patrol aircraft

The South Korean military has approved a plan to buy 20 maritime patrol aircraft to improve the Navy's surveillance capabilities. The Joint Chiefs of Staff has recently approved the Navy's request to add 20 maritime patrol aircraft to supplement the aging squadron of 16 Lockheed Martin P-3C Orions.
Among the potential candidates are Airbus Military's C-295 MPA, Boeing's P-8 Poseidon, Lockheed Martin's SC-130J Sea Hercules
yonhapnews