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11, 12. ANTISUBMARINE Patrol Aircraft
Recognized as the leading manufacturer of antisubmarine warfare
(ASW) patrol aircraft for more than 3 decades,
Lockheed-California Company currently produces the land-based
P-3, latest of the Orion series (11), and the new, carrier-based
S-3A Viking (12). Both aircraft, regarded by U.S. Navy
authorities as the most effective airborne subhunters in
operation, feature computer integrated ASW systems. More than
400 P-3s each of which carry a crew of 10, are currently serving
with the U.S. Navy and the air forces of Australia, Iran, New
Zealand, Norway, and Spain. The compact S-3, sized for
operations in the restricted carrier environment, carries a crew
of four. Both aircraft carry retractable MAD (magnetic anomaly
detection) booms in their tails which are extended to pinpoint
the exact location of submerged submarines after they have been
detected. The P-3 is powered by four Allison propjet engines
that give it a top speed of more then 450 miles per hour. P-3:
Span 99 ft. 8 in., length 116 ft. 10 in., service ceiling 30,000
feet. The S-3A, which entered the Fleet in 1974 and became
operational aboard carriers in 1975, is powered by two General
Electric TF-34-2 high-bypass turbofan engines and is capable of
speeds in excess of 500 miles per hour. S-3: Span 68 ft. 8 in.,
length 53 ft. 4in., service ceiling 35,000 feet. The S-3A's
nose, tail, and wing fold for storage on the carrier Lockheed
manufacturers the fuselage, assembles the complete aircraft, and
integrates systems and other subcontractor components supplied
in a teaming arrangement with LTV Aerospace Company and Sperry
Rand Corporation. |
