Cost Of Updates To The Unit's P-3s Is Estimated At $35 Million

Two Orion P-3 airplanes flying out of McDill AFB in Tampa, FL into hurricanes are about to get a makeover to the tune of about $35 million.

The two planes ... nicknamed "Miss Piggy" and "Kermit," will be overhauled over the next three years. The work will include new wings, refurbished engines, and upgraded radar and avionics, according to NOAA's McDill chief of operations Jim McFadden.

Tampa Bay Online reports that, according to McFadden, the new Doppler radar to be installed in the tails of the airplanes will give a higher resolution image than does the current system, and the upgrade will also include better video processors.

Each of the airframes has over 10,000 hours, according to McFadden. Miss Piggy has flown into 83 hurricanes while working for NOAA, and Kermit has flown into 98 storms. The planes were acquired by NOAA in 1976 and 1975, respectively.

"My goal is to keep these planes flying for another 15-20 years," McFadden told the paper.

Work on Kermit is set to begin in March of next year, while Miss Piggy will go into the shop in 2016.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.aoc.noaa.gov