Two P-3C Orion Long-Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft inducted in Pakistan Navy

The induction ceremony of two modified P3C Orion aircraft acquired from the United States was held at the Pakistan Navy Base Mehran here on Tuesday.Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Noman Bashir, was the chief guest at the simple but impressive ceremony.

US Brig. Gen. Mike Nagata of the Office of Defence Representative in Pakistan, and the Consul General of United States in Karachi Stephens G. Fakan also attended the ceremony. Speaking on the occasion, the Naval Chief termed this as a historic day on many accounts.He said with the induction of these aircraft the capability of Pakistan Navy and its Aviation Wing would be enhanced.

Admiral Noman Bashir stated that we have to contribute to make the areas that surround our country on land and the sea safe and secure and that we take this as our responsibility as well as moral obligation.He further pointed out that today’s capability would help us in furthering this very effort.Admiral Noman Bashir said that these fully modified aircraft are capable of undertaking the missions that they are designed for.He stated that with the induction of these aircraft the friendship of Pakistan and the United States has been further cemented.

The Naval Chief pointed out that the cooperation between the navies of the two countries has also flourished and would continue to flourish.He said that we already have our crew in the United States to take over one frigate hopefully by the end of August and after necessary repair work it will sail for Pakistan by January next year.

Admiral Noman Bashir also asked the aviation crew of Pakistan Navy to maintain these and other aircraft in a professional and able manner.He also said that the P3C programme that we desired in the 1990s has been materialized in 2010. The Naval Chief said that the next set of these aircraft would also be arriving in the later part of this year.

Speaking on the occasion, the US Brig. Gen. Mike Nagata said that these aircraft are equipped with modern mission systems and avionics will help enhance Pakistan Navy’s capability to conduct maritime operations.“ These aircraft are symbols of your commitment to your people, to your mission of protecting your way of life and to be great part of the international community”, he remarked.

Mike Nagata said that these are also symbol of a partnership that has grown deeper and enriched in recent years between nation of Pakistan and the United States- the one that we are confident would continue to strengthen and deepen in the years ahead.

He also pointed out that Pakistan Navy is a credible international partner and a leading coalition maritime forces security operations in the Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, Red Sea and Indian Ocean Mike Nagata said that Pakistan Navy currently leads the Task Force 150 and this is the fourth time it is doing so.Earlier, Commander Pakistan Fleet Vice-Admiral Tanveer Faiz, presented the welcome address.The Naval Chief presented the documents of the aircraft to Commander Ahmed Shuja.

General Characteristics
Primary Function: Antisubmarine warfare(ASW)/Antisurface warfare (ASUW).
Contractor: Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems Company.
Propulsion: Four Allison T-56-A-14 turboprop engines (4,600 hp each)
Length: 116.7 feet.
Height: 33.7 feet.
Wingspan: 99.6 feet.
Weight: Maximum takeoff, 139,760 pounds
Airspeed: Maximum, 411 knots; cruise, 328 knots
Ceiling: 28,300 feet.
Range: Mission radius, 2,380 nautical miles; for three hours on-station at 1,500 feet, 1,346 nautical miles.
Maximum endurance at 4,575 meters on two engines 17 h 12 min
Maximum endurance at 4,575 meters on four engines 12 h 20 min
Crew: (P-3C) three pilots, two naval flight officers, two flight engineers, three sensor operators, one in-flight technician.
Armament: 20,000 pounds of ordnance, including AGM-84 Harpoon, AGM-84E SLAM, AGM-84H/K and AGM-65F Maverick missiles, Mk46/50/54.

Posted in: Maritime Patrol Aircraft,Naval,Pakistan