Beyond the Orion adventure

The Royal New Zealand Air Force’s six venerable Lockheed P-3K2 Orions are approaching their twilight years after more than half a century of service. Jim Winchester looks at the long process to replace them.

RNZAF Maritime Patrol

P-3K2 NZ4203 at Whenuapai. The most visible change from the P-3K to the K2 is the replacement of the Boeing Infrared Detection System (IRDS) turret under the nose with the Wescam MX-20 electro-optical/infrared system.

Jim Winchester

The P-3K2 upgrade included a BAE Systems digital autopilot with new flight director, and a dual LN-100 GPS/inertial navigation system.

RNZAF

Aircraft and systems manufacturers from around the world have entered a wide range of platforms in New Zealand’s Future Air Surveillance Capability (FASC) competition. The winner will replace the Orion, the first of which – a P-3B – was delivered to No 5 Squadron at Whenuapai Air Base near Auckland in October 1966. Since then, Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Orions have flown more than 150,000 hours and countless miles around the Pacific and the rest of the world. Most recently, in February 2017, one P-3K2 and 55 personnel were deployed to the Middle East on anti-smuggling and anti-piracy duties with the Combined Maritime Force.