Lockheed Martin delivered the fourth P-3 Orion with new mid-life upgrade (MLU) modifications to US Customs and Border Protection two months ahead of schedule.

The MLU installation and phase depot maintenance (PDM) were accomplished in record time of 11 months at Lockheed Martin’s Greenville facility. “I am very proud of the Lockheed Martin team in Greenville for demonstrating that we can provide significant value with our OEM knowledge, high quality work and our commitment to meeting our customer’s delivery schedule,” said Ray Burick, Vice President for P-3 Programme and Greenville Operations.

The MLU replaces all fatigue life-limiting structures with enhanceddesign components and incorporates a new metal alloy that is five times more corrosion resistant than the original material, greatly reducing the cost of ownership for P-3 operators. The MLU solution removes current aircraft flight restrictions and extends the structural service life of the P-3 up to 15,000 hours, adding more than 20 years of operational use.

The P-3 Orion is the standard for maritime patrol and reconnaissance, and is used for homeland security, hurricane reconnaissance, anti-piracy operations, humanitarian relief, search and rescue, intelligence gathering, antisubmarine warfare and, recently, to assist in air traffic control and natural disaster relief support.