in 2023, Winter said: ‘The production
cut-in of TR-3 will occur during Lot 15
in 2023. The F-35 program is working to
transition to C2D2 faster, more exibly,
and more a ordably by breaking down
and delivering in smaller increments,
ultimately reducing our cost of doing
business. Open systems, speci cally
regarding TR-3, will allow earlier and
easier integration in the near term to get
new capabilities on the airplane, and
bene t from additional competition.
The desired outcome from the C2D
approach, to Block 4 and into the future,
is to deliver technically feasible and
operationally relevant capability to the
war ghter.’Last major P-3 deployment
The nal scheduled deployment of the
US Navy’s last active-duty P-3 Orion-
equipped patrol squadron (VP) is under
way and is expected to end this fall when
the squadron returns home to begin
transition to the P-8A Poseidon.
VP-40 ‘Fighting Marlins’, departed
NAS Whidbey Island, Washington, in
late March for a split deployment to
Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, and Al
Udeid Air Base, Qatar. It is the last of 12
active-duty operational VP squadrons to
operate the P-3C.
VP-40’s return will not mean the end
of the Orion’s navy service. Two reserve
squadrons, VP-62 at NAS Jacksonville,
Florida, and VP-69 at Whidbey Island, will
continue to operate P-3Cs for a few years
and are being kept on the hook in part to
deploy the APS-149 Littoral Surveillance
Radar System (LSRS) until the APS-
Advanced Aerial Sensor is deployed
on the P-8A. If Congress approves an
increase in P-8A production beyond 120
aircraft, these squadrons are likely to
make the transition in the early 2020s.Right: An HSM-
79 MH-60R
Seahawk fl ies
down the coast
off Coronado,
San Diego,
California. The
unit is earmarked
to move to Spain
to support local
ships. US Navy/
MCS1C Benjamin
A. Lewis
Below: VP-40 is
deployed to the
US 5th and 7th
Fleet areas of
operations as the
fi nal active-duty
squadron to fl y
the P-3C Orion.
US Navy/MCS2C
Jakoeb VandahlenON THE
ROAD TO
ROTA
The US Navy is planning to transfer a
helicopter maritime strike squadron
(HSM) to Naval Station Rota, Spain, to
provide helicopters for ships based there.
HSM-79 ‘Gri ns’, currently based at NAS
North Island, California, is scheduled to
make the move in 2022.The navy forward-deployed four
Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile
destroyers to Rota to primarily provide
a rotational ballistic-missile defense
force in the eastern Mediterranean and
to support NATO and US missions in
the region. The initial four destroyers,
which only possess landing platforms,
will be replaced by four with helicopter
hangars. A similar arrangement exists
with the forward-deployed naval forces
in Japan, where HSM-51 and HSM-
provide helicopters to support cruisers
and destroyers.Another squadron, Special Projects
Patrol Squadron Two (VPU-2), based
at MCAS Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii, will
continue to operate the P-3C until
sometime in 2020, a change from the
original time frame of scal year 2019.
It is scheduled to be deactivated, but
rumors are that if Congress approves
the above noted increase in P-8A
production, VPU-2 will be retained in
service as a quick-reaction capability
(QRC). On September 10, 2018, the
navy established Fleet Support Unit
One at NAS Jacksonville to provide VPU
capability to the standard P-8A when
needed, but how this will work out ifVPU-2 is retained remains to be seen.
If VPU-2 operates the P-8, it likely will
move to Jacksonville or Whidbey Island.
Of note, Fleet Air Reconnaissance
Squadron One (VQ-1) still operates
EP-3E versions for electronic
reconnaissance and P-3Cs and NP-3Cs
are operated by Air Test and Evaluation
Squadron 30 (VX-30) at NAS Point
Mugu, California, and by Scienti c
Development Squadron One (VXS-1)
at NAS Patuxent River. The P-3 became
operational 57 years ago with the US
Navy in August 1962 and in a few weeks
was ying operational surveillance
missions in the Cuban Missile Crisis.14 September 2019 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net
READY ROOM // BEHIND THE NAVY HEADLINES
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