39 Orions Affected, May Be Down For Two Years

Nearly one-quarter of the Navy's fleet of P-3C Orion survelliance aircraft were grounded Monday, over concerns about the aging aircrafts' structures. The affected aircraft -- 39 out of 161 Orions in service -- may be down for as long as two years for repairs.

"Program officials determined that these aircraft are beyond known structural limits on the lower section of the P-3 wing," said a release by Naval Air Systems Command. Spokesman John Milliman told Reuters no actual incidents with Orions have been reported.

"This is data-driven," he said. The Navy began analyzing potential issues with the 1960s-vintage turboprops in December 2004, to anticipate potential risks. Modifications and repairs to the affected planes are expected to take between 18-24 months.

Initially developed as a long-legged maritime patrol aircraft, in recent years Orions have also seen service over Iraq and Afghanistan. The Orion fleet is scheduled to be replaced by 108 Boeing 737-based P-8As starting in 2013, though the Navy plans to continue flying Orions until 2019.

Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the P-3, said its full resources are available to the Navy to rectify the matter.

"As the original equipment manufacturer, we are uniquely qualified to offer our assistance," said Thomas Jurkowsky, a company spokesman. "Besides the Navy, nobody knows this airplane better than Lockheed Martin."

This is the second structural fatigue issue identified among US military aircraft in as many months. As ANN reported, the bulk of the US Air Force F-15C fleet remains grounded for inspection following the November 2 loss of a Missouri Air Guard Eagle, caused by the structural failure of fuselage longerons.

FMI: www.navy.mil, www.lockheedmartin.com