Upgrades for Pakistani Navy P-3C Maritime Surveillance Aircraft

Washington, DC, USA: The Lockheed Martin Corporation has announced that the U.S. Navy's Naval Air Systems Command has awarded it a $186.5 million Foreign Military Sale contract to continue providing mission system upgrades and sustainment work for seven P-3C Orion maritime surveillance aircraft for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

"This program represents an important expansion of the U.S. Navy, Pakistan Navy and Lockheed Martin P-3 relationship," said Tom Pillion, U.S. Navy Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft director for International Programs. "It provides a world-class maritime surveillance capability to the Pakistan Navy, and will be an important contributor to allied operations."

According to Lockheed Martin, the Pakistan navy's P-3C Upgrade Program, which began in March 2006, has so far seen the delivery of one upgraded surveillance aircraft, which was inducted in January. A second aircraft is expected to join the fleet in March.

Lockheed says that the modified P-3Cs will further enhance the Pakistan navy's capabilities to conduct maritime surveillance in littoral and deep-water environments, supporting anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare operations. The corporation points out that 91 percent of all active-duty P-3's now carry Lockheed Martin's integrated mission system, which will provide Pakistan's navy with world-class performance.

Lockheed Martin is the mission system integrator for the P-3C aircraft's mission avionics, including surveillance sensors, acoustic sensors, weapons control, communications, survivability, displays, and controls. The P-3C weapons system is the primary maritime surveillance aircraft operated by the U.S. Navy and 17 international allies.

Headquartered in Bethesda, MD, Lockheed Martin employs more than 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.