Lockheed secures Orion contract

this week entered into a contract with the Government of Norway to build new production service life extension kits for six Royal Norwegian Air Force P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft.

According to a statement, this Lockheed Martin Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) will add more than 15,000 flying hours to each aircraft, representing 20 to 25 additional years of service for this maritime patrol and reconnaissance resource.

The contract, which includes the life extension kit, engineering support, and other components, is valued at approximately $95m. The life extension kit is said to provide a low-risk, cost-effective solution by replacing all fatigue life limiting structure on the aircraft with enhanced design components and new, improved corrosion resistant materials.

’The P-3 Orion remains the world standard in maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, and this work will extend the service life of this critical strategic asset for many years,’ said Ralph Heath, president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.

Lockheed Martin has installed the required production tooling to build P-3 Service Life Extension outer wings at its Marietta, Georgia, plant. The Norwegian life extension kit includes the outer wings, the centre wing lower surface, horizontal stabilizer, horizontal stabilizer leading edges, and nacelle components. These kits will incorporate design enhancements and new materials with increased corrosion resistance, essentially refreshing the fatigue critical components on the aircraft. Production of the Norwegian kits is scheduled to begin immediately.