P-3 Orion Research Group

P-3 Orion Milestones

January
       start of assembly of the first Pamdale built P-3 (1984, RAAF P-3C-II.5 A9-657)
01 - first deployment with P-3C-I (1977, VP-19, Adak)
02 - Pakistan formally begins P-3 operations (1999)
03 - first delivery of a P-3B to an operational squadron (1966, VP-26, BuNo 152721)
10 - first of ten P-3B Orions delivered to Australia (1968, BuNo 155291, A9-291)
14 - first P-3A Orions delivered to USN Reserves (1970, VP-91)
17 - first of 31 P-3C Update I Orions delivered (1975, VX-1, BuNo 159503)
19 - first delivery of a former RNLN P-3C CUP to Portugal (2006, BuNo 161375, 14810)
22 - P-3C sets a long-distance record for turboprops of 7,010 miles (1971, NATC, BuNo 156512)
22 - last Lockheed Martin built P-3 delivered (1996, RoKN P-3C-III+, BuNo 165105, 950909)
24 - first of five P-3B Orions delivered to Norway (1969, BuNo 156599, KK-L)
25 - first delivery of P-3A to a Pacific Fleet squadron (1963, VP-46, BuNo 150508)
25 - rollout of the first CP-140 Aurora for Canada (1979, 140101)
27 - P-3C sets a world speed record for its class: 501.44 miles per hour over a closed course
       (1971, NATC, BuNo 156512)
29 - first delivery of a WP-3A to an operational unit (1971, VW-4, BuNo 149674)

February
       first P-3 flight in support of US Forces in Vietnam (1965, VP-9, P-3A)
01 - last delivery of a Kawasaki built P-3, marking the end of 38 years of continuous P-3 production
       (2000, UP-3D 9163)
04 - P-3C sets a world record for its class of 45,018.2 feet altitude in horizontal flight
      (1971, NATC, BuNo 156512)
08 - P-3C sets a world altitude record of 46,214.5 feet, as well as four time-to-climb records for its
      class (1971, NATC, BuNo 156512)
10 - first deployment with P-3C Update III retrofit aircraft (1989, VP-45, Bermuda)
16 - the Royal Thai Navy received two P-3T Orions (1995, BuNos 152142, 152143)
17 - first of ten P-3C Update II Orions delivered to Australia (1978, BuNo 160751, A9751)
19 - US Navy P-3 fleet passed five million flight hours (1986, VP-24, Puerto Rico, BuNo 157311)
27 - first delivery of a Palmdale built P-3 (1985, BuNo 162657, A9-657)
28 - first deployment of P-3C Update II (1979, VP-44, Keflavik)

March
03 - Chilean Navy receives its first UP-3A (1993, BuNo 151354, 405)
05 - P-3C Update II pre-production aircraft delivered to NADC for testing (1977, BuNo 159889)
06 - first of seven Kawasaki EP-3s delivered (1991, 9171)
13 - P-3 wing production line opens in Marietta (2008)
16 - first delivery of a P-3C-III to Norway (1989, BuNo 163296, 3296)
17 - first flight of the first P-3 built by a foreign manufacturer under license (1982, Japan)
22 - last operational mission with a US Navy P-3A (1990, Rota, VP-64, BuNo 152158)
24 - last operational mission of US Navy P-3B (1994, VP-93)

April
       first flight of P-3C Update I prototype (1974)
06 - delivery of P-3C-III prototype aircraft to US Navy (1983, NADC, BuNo 161410)
07 - first Pacific Fleet deployment with P-3A Orion (1964, VP-46, Adak)
11 - first delivery of P-3C Update II.5 to US Navy (1981, VP-30, BuNo 161132)
10 - arrival of the first RNoAF Orion in Norway at Oslo/Fornebu airport (1969)
12 - Kawasaki appointed as main contractor in the Japanese P-3C production program (1978)
15 - first flight of production model P3V-1 (1961, BuNo 148883)
17 - last P-3 Orion delivered to the US Navy (1990, VP-91, BuNo 163295)
16 - start of Board of Inspection and Survey (BIS) trials with P3V-1 (1962)
24 - Lockheed named winner of US Navy ASW design competition (1958)
30 - first Atlantic Fleet deployment with P-3A Orion (1963, VP-44, Argentia)
30 - first delivery of P-3C Update II to Japan (1981, BuNo 161267, 5001)

May
      first flight of P-3C-II.5 (1981)
      P-3 production at Palmdale ended (1991)
13 - P-3 Orions located and assisted in recovery of SS Mayaguez captured by Cambodians
      (1975, VP-4 and VP-17)
18 - first delivery of a P-3C-II to an operational USN squadron (1978, VP-44, BuNo 160610)
22 - first flight of CP-140 Aurora (1979, 140101)
29 - first delivery of a CP-140 Aurora to Canada (1980, 140101)
29 - first of six P-3B Orions delivered to Greece (1996, BuNo 153441)
30 - first delivery of a P-3C Update III production aircraft (1984, VX-1, BuNo 161762)

June
01 - first Pacific Fleet deployment of P-3C (1971, VP-47, Adak)
03 - first of two WP-3D Orions delivered to NOAA (1975, BuNo 159773)
03 - first delivery of P-3C Update II to an operational squadron (1978, VP-44, BuNo 160611))
09 - Kawasaki Heavy Industries signs agreement to license-build P-3C's (1978)
12 - first production P-3C delivered (1969, VP-30, BuNo 156508)
16 - P3V-1 Orion declared suitable for operations (1962)
17 - first delivery of P-3AEW&C aircraft to US Custom Service (1988, BuNo 155299)
22 - VP-30 completed the squadron's 100,000th accident-free flight hour in P-3 aircraft (1973)
22 - last flight of a RNLN P-3C CUP (2006, delivery flight to Germany, BuNo 161380, 312)
28 - rollout of the first Marietta built P-3 (1994, RoKN P-3C-III+, BuNo 165098)

July
       program started to bring all P-3C aircraft up to Update II status (1979)
17 - first deployment of P-3C (1970, VP-49, Keflavik)
19 - first Atlantic Fleet deployment of P-3B (1966, VP-26, Keflavik)
21 - arrival of the first four RNLN P-3C-II.5 Orions at RNLNAS Valkenburg (1982, BuNos 161368 -
       161371, 300 - 303)
23 - VP-8 becomes the first operational P3V-1 squadron (1962)
24 - first of six P-3F Orions delivered to Iran (1974, BuNo 159342, 5-256)
25 - first Pacific Fleet deployment of P-3B (1966, VP-9, Okinawa)
30 - first delivery of P-3C Update I to an operational squadron (1975, VP-19, BuNo 159509)

August
       CNO issued Type Specification 146, which eventually led to the P3V-1 (1957)
       first flight of NADC P-3A with full S-3A avionics suite as S-3 flying testbed (1971, BuNo 148889)
01 - first three of seven ex USN P-3A's delivered to Spain (1973, BuNos 152145, 152149, 152153)
01 - first deployment with P-3C-III production aircraft (1986, VP-40, Kadena)
02 - first of five P-3B Orions delivered to New Zealand (1966, BuNo 155886, NZ4201)
09 - first non-stop P-3A flight from Atsugi to Moffett (1963, VP-31, BuNo 150520)
13 - first delivery of a P-3A Orion to an operational squadron (1962, VP-8, BuNo 149671)
19 - first flight of converted L-188 Electra aerodynamic test aircraft (1958, N1883)
19 - first "heavyweight" P-3B delivered (1967, NATC, BuNo 153444)
26 - first P-3C-II production aircraft delivered to NAS Patuxent River (1977, NATC, BuNo 160290)

September
       NADC completes initial plans for A-NEW project, based on studies started in 1960 (1962)
10 - rollout of first P-3C-II.5 for The Netherlands (1981, Burbank, BuNo 161368, 300)
11 - last operational mission of US Navy P-3B in frontline service (1990, VP-22)
13 - mid air collission of Soviet Su27 Flanker with Norwegian P-3B (1987, BuNo 156602, 602)
18 - type designation changed from P3V-1 into P-3A (1962)
18 - first flight of YP-3C prototype (1968, BuNo 153443)
24 - first P-3C delivered to an operational squadron (1969, VP-56, BuNo 156518)
25 - first of twelve P-3C's delivered to the Republic of China Air Force, Taiwan (2013, #3303)

October
       the US Navy awarded a contract an inital production contract for seven P3V-1 Orions (1960)
       first flight of A-NEW "mod 1" system in YP-3A (1963)
       P-3C BIS trials begin (1969)
02 - last flight in Market Time tasking (1973, VP-17)
12 - first delivery of P-3B to NAS Moffett Field aircraft pool (1965)
12 - very last US Navy P-3A flight (1990, VP-69 to Museum Pensacola, BuNo 152152)
15 - Cuban Missile Crisis: VP-8, VP-44 and VX-1 deployed to Bermuda and Azores with P-3A (1962)
18 - RNLN established a permanent detachment at NAS Keflavik (1985)
31 - first of four WP-3A Orions delivered to the US Navy (1970, WST, BuNo 149674)

November
05 - first of thirteen P-3C Update II.5 Orions delivered to The Netherlands (1981)
12 - first P-3A deployment to WestPac (1964, VP-9, Okinawa)
13 - last operational flight of P-3A by an active duty squadron (1978, VP-44)
15 - RP-3D Project Magnet airplane delivered (1971, VXN-8, BuNo 158227)
24 - firs reserve squadron to receive factory-fresh P-3C-III (1987, VP-62, BuNo 163002)
25 - first flight of prototype YP3V-1 (1959, BuNo 148276)

December
       first flight of A-NEW "mod 3" system (1965)
       Lockheed designated principal contractor to integrate A-NEW system into P-3 airframe (1965)
       first TP-3A Orions converted and delivered (1985, VP-30 and VP-31)
07 - first of six P-3B Orions delivered to Argentina (1997, BuNo 152746, 0869)
10 - first P-3B delivered to the fleet (1965, VP-31, BuNo 152719)
19 - 500th P-3 Orion delivered (1979, USN/VP-26, BuNo 161011)
31 - converted YP-3A delivered to NASA as NP-3A (1965, BuNo 148276)