Orion Life Extension
Work has started in Canada to upgrade
Lockheed P-3ACH Orion 407 for the Chilean
Naval Aviation service. The maritime
surveillance and anti-submarine patroller
will undergo an extensive modernisation
programme performed by IMP Aerospace &
Defence in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The work
aims to extend the aircraft’s useful life to
more than 15,000 ight hours, equivalent to
20 years of operational use.
The P-3ACH Orion III modi cation
introduces Lockheed Martin’s structuralmid-life upgrade package as well as
wing replacement. It also includes the
design and installation of a glass cockpit,
upgraded engines and a phased depot
maintenance inspection package.
Meanwhile, IMP announced on June
5 that it had won a contract to maintain
the Royal Norwegian Air Force’s P-
Orion eet. The multi-year deal includes
additional in-service support work beyond
maintenance inspections and will be
carried out by IMP in Halifax.People’s Liberation Army Air Force Ilyushin
Il-76MD Candid 21047 landed at RNZAF
Base Whenuapai, near Auckland, on June- This is the rst time a Chinese military
aircraft has visited the country. The Candid
arrived after a ve hour plus ight from
Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Serial 21047
had own from Davao International Airport
in the Philippines the previous day. The
transporter is operated by the PLAAF’s 13th
Transport Division/39th Air Regiment and
was in the region to participate in Exercise
Skytrain 18.
History was made on June 28 when 617
Sqn carried out the rst sortie by a UK-
based Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning.
The unit’s OC, Wg Cdr John Butcher, was
at the controls of ZM148 as it departed RAF
Marham, Norfolk, for a local ight. The rst
four UK F-35Bs had previously arrived at
the base from the USA on June 6. (See
News, July issue.)
Wg Cdr Butcher said: “It was a great
forward step for 617 Squadron today in
launching our rst ight from our newpermanent home at Marham as we continue
our work to declare Lightning into frontline
service with the Royal Air Force and the
Royal Navy. Since our rst four Lightnings
arrived in the UK we have been working
hard to bed the aircraft into its new operating
base, and over the coming weeks the aircraft
will become an increasingly familiar sight in
the skies over Norfolk.”
The UK has received 15 F-35Bs
to date and 617 Sqn was formallyreactivated at a ceremony in Washington
DC on April 17. It is expected to achieve
initial operational capability from land
bases by the end of the year. The
British F-35Bs will be operated by a joint
RAF and Royal Navy Lightning Force
comprising personnel from both services.
The new aircraft will own from land
bases and the new Queen Elizabeth-
class aircraft carriers, and trials with the
ship are expected to begin this autumn.MILITARY NEWS
http://www.aviation-news.co.uk 11RAF Starts Lightning
Ops from Marham
Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning ZM148 making the rst ight on June 28. Crown CopyrightIlyushin Il-76MD 21047 landing at Whenuapai on June 9. John Mounce via Adrian BalchChinese Military Ilyushin Visits New Zealand
French Hercules
Delivery
A factory-fresh Lockheed C-130J Hercules
was delivered to the French Air Force’s
Base Aérienne 123 Orléans-Bricy on June- It is the second example to be accepted
by the Armée de l’Air in recent months – its
initial C-130J arrived in December and
ew its rst operational mission to support
a French base in Jordan on May 21. The
aircraft are assigned to the Escadron de
Transport 2/61 ‘Franche-Comté’.
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